MONROE, CT — Board of Education members recognized Masuk High School’s 12 National Merit Commended students and two semi-finalists during their meeting Tuesday.
Masuk Principal Steven Swensen explained the significance of both achievements and introduced the students.
Swensen said Masuk has many outstanding students, but these 14 students rose to another level with their performance on the National Merit Scholar qualifying test.
The National Merit Commended students represent the top five percent of performances on the PSAT nationwide, according to Swensen.
“About 50,000 students throughout the nation that took this test received these letters of accommodation for their outstanding academic promise,” he said.
Among Masuk’s 2022 National Merit Commended students are Connor Cybart, Jane Ding, Michael Edgar, Kathryn Gallant, Kevin Giordano, Keara Kirberger, Sherry Li, Jacob Moreno, Roan Riordan, Suja Srinivasan, Julian Zeppetello and Alexander Zhelonkin.
The number of 2022 National Merit Semi-Finalist students in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less-than-one percent of U.S. high school seniors, which includes the highest scoring entrants in each state, according to Swensen.
Of the approximately 16,000 students, Swensen said about 95 percent of the semifinalists will be named finalists in the 67th year of the academic competition — and half of those will earn the National Merit Scholar title.
Masuk’s 2022 National Merit Semi-Finalists include Nicholas Caggiano and Jackson Zambarano.
Swensen said Zambarano’s mother told him her son received a letter identifying him as a finalist. Swensen said Caggiano may also get one, because the letters are still going out.
