Three Moon Area High School Students Named National Merit Finalists

The National Merit Scholarship Program has announced which of the 16,000 Semifinalists named in September 2025 have met all requirements to advance to Finalist standing in the competition. All Finalists will now be considered for National Merit Scholarship Awards to be offered in 2026.

Approximately 6,870 Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from a pool of more than 15,000 Finalists nationwide. Scholarship recipients will begin receiving notifications in March 2026.

Moon Area High School proudly recognizes three students who have earned National Merit Finalist status:

• Shaurya Kapoor
• Samarth Mandani
• Sophia Shetty

In addition, Sophia Shetty has been selected as a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. This prestigious program is one of the nation’s highest honors for graduating high school seniors, recognizing up to 161 students annually for academic, artistic, and career-technical excellence. Established in 1964 by executive order, the program honors distinguished students with a medallion and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to these outstanding students on their remarkable achievements!