7 Las Cruces students named National Merit Scholar semifinalists

Seven students from Arrowhead park Early College High School and Centennial High School in Las Cruces are among 91 students New Mexico high school seniors who have been named National Merit semifinalists, the first step toward winning the prestigious title National Merit Scholar and competing for a share of $30 million in scholarships, the New Mexico Public Education Department said in a news release. 

They are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered next spring. 

About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing upon fulfilling several requirements, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. 

National Merit Scholarship Corp., a nonprofit that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions that share its goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

The Las Cruces finalists are, from Arrowhead Park Easly College High School: Fateh Aswad, Arabella E. Camunez and Zephyr A. Simmons; and, from Centennial High School: Arnabh Borah, Jade N. Collins,
Nishka Lahiri and Lauren Owens.