Paloma Nakamura and Josiah Rise, Santa Fe High Seniors, were both honored as National Merit Finalists. To become a National Merit Semifinalist, one must be recognized based on outstanding PSAT scores in their state. Then, the semifinalists continue with an application, including SAT scores, to become a finalist.

Many schools offer scholarships to prospective students who are National Merit Finalists. However, Paloma chose to attend Scripps College, which doesn’t award monetary value. Nonetheless, “It is an exciting achievement that I am proud of,” says Paloma.

Josiah, on the other hand, claims it was, “the biggest factor in deciding where to go.” He will be attending UT Dallas with a paid tuition and study abroad program because of his National Merit ranking.