National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners announced
National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced this year's National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners.
The winners were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program.
They were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised information submitted by the finalists and their high schools: academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned: scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
It marks the second announcement of winners in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. On April 22, more than 1,000 recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards were named, and on June 3 and July 13, some 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will be announced. By the conclusion of this year's competition, about 7,600 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million.
2020 National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners
Jim T. James, Aurora; Probable career field: Computer Science; Metea Valley High School, Aurora
Ava R. Dahnke, Barrington; Probable career field: Chemical Engineering; Barrington High School, Barrington
Urja Patel, Bartlett; Probable career field: Medicine; Bartlett High School, Bartlett
Alissa K. Chu, Batavia; Probable career field: Anthropology; Batavia High School, Batavia
Nicholas C. Castaneda, Buffalo Grove; Probable career field: Actuarial Science; Buffalo Grove High School, Buffalo Grove
Matthew J. Li, Buffalo Grove; Probable career field: Environmental Policy; Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire
Kiran R. Mohan, Buffalo Grove; Probable career field: Medicine; Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire
Erin Y. Yuan, Buffalo Grove; Probable career field: Chemistry; Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire
Ved G. Patel, Cary; Probable career field: Medicine; Cary-Grove High School, Cary
Daniel J. Leung, Clarendon Hills; Probable career field: Business; Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale
Annika S. Huprikar, Deerfield; Probable career field: Computer Science; Deerfield High School, Deerfield
Elizaveta M. Kuzmina, Elgin; Probable career field: Public Health; Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
Umar A. Siddiqi, Elmhurst; Probable career field: Biology; Islamic Foundation School, Villa Park
Allison Splitstone, Elmhurst; Probable career field: Finance; York Community High School, Elmhurst
Matthew Splitstone, Elmhurst; Probable career field: Finance; York Community High School, Elmhurst
Benjamin R. Riner, Geneva; Probable career field: Applied Mathematics; Marmion Academy, Aurora
Michaela Reif, Glen Ellyn; Probable career field: Law; Glenbard South High School, Glen Ellyn
Madaket K. Chiarieri, Glenview; Probable career field: Applied Mathematics; Glenbrook South High School, Glenview
Advait H. Deoskar, Hawthorn Woods; Probable career field: Banking; Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire
Max T. Knutson, Hawthorn Woods; Probable career field: Computer Science; Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
Tobe M. Obochi, Highland Park; Probable career field: Computer Science; Highland Park High School, Highland Park
Nikhil Sriram, Hoffman Estates; Probable career field: Neuroscience; William Fremd High School, Palatine
Ashish M. Subramanian, Hoffman Estates; Probable career field: Biochemistry; Hoffman Estates High School, Hoffman Estates
Christopher A. Vu, Barrington; Probable career field: Medicine; Barrington High School, Barrington
Garifalia M. Kapsalis, Lake Forest; Probable career field: Political Science; Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest
John Chen, Lake Zurich; Probable career field: Biomedical Engineering; Lake Zurich High School, Lake Zurich
Dylan Y. Hu, Lake Zurich; Probable career field: Social Science; Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire
Weirui Tong, Lisle; Probable career field: Academia; Naperville North High School, Naperville
Neil Xu, Lisle; Probable career field: Computer Science; Naperville North High School, Naperville
Sophia I. Pieta, Lombard; Probable career field: Astronautics; Glenbard East High School, Lombard
Jasmine X. Wang, Long Grove; Probable career field: Computer Science; Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire
Emily K. Gordon, Mount Prospect; Probable career field: Engineering; Prospect High School, Mount Prospect
Angela M. Romanelli, Mount Prospect; Probable career field: Medicine; Prospect High School, Mount Prospect
Ainsley S. Ahmadian, Naperville; Probable career field: Undecided; Waubonsie Valley High School, Aurora
Nyah M. Bruce, Naperville; Probable career field: Marketing; Waubonsie Valley High School, Aurora
Eric B. Chen, Naperville; Probable career field: Entrepreneurship; Naperville North High School, Naperville
Anne Foley, Naperville; Probable career field: Computer Science; Naperville North High School, Naperville
Jason Gu, Naperville; Probable career field: Physics; Naperville North High School, Naperville
Jonathan Li, Naperville; Probable career field: Computer Science; Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville
Jessica L. Mann, Naperville; Probable career field: Biology; Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville
Arya Nalluri, Naperville; Probable career field: Law; Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville
Nathan Pruyne, Naperville; Probable career field: Computer Science; Metea Valley High School, Aurora
Muskan Sidhu, Naperville; Probable career field: Neurosurgery; Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville
Kathryn Rose Southon, Naperville; Probable career field: Chemical Engineering; Naperville Central High School, Naperville
Edward Wu, Naperville; Probable career field: Marketing; Naperville North High School, Naperville
Zachary Lu Jialin Xi, Naperville; Probable career field: Undecided; Naperville North High School, Naperville
Alexander C. Yakisan, North Aurora; Probable career field: Engineering; Marmion Academy, Aurora
Elizabeth Welch-Jani, Northbrook; Probable career field: Astrophysics; Glenbrook South High School, Glenview
Alyssa Lee, Oak Brook; Probable career field: Computer Science; Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale
Sharon Wu, Palatine; Probable career field: Computer Science; William Fremd High School, Palatine
Brendan P. McCluskey, Plainfield; Probable career field: Science/Research; Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville
Sophia J. Pribus, Riverwoods; Probable career field: Medical Research; Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
Sabrina P. Meng, Rockford; Probable career field: Medicine; Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
Martin D. Susanto, Schaumburg; Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering; Loyola Academy, Wilmette
Elizabeth L. Zhang, Schaumburg; Probable career field: Engineering; James B. Conant High School, Hoffman Estates
Ayumu Seiya, St. Charles; Probable career field: Biochemistry; St. Charles East High School, St. Charles
Sean M. Yetter, St. Charles; Probable career field: Orthopedics; St. Charles East High School, St. Charles
Healey J. Kogan, Vernon Hills; Probable career field: Education (College Professor); Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire
Avery J. Longdon, Vernon Hills; Probable career field: Medicine; Vernon Hills High School, Vernon Hills
Sophie Klopfenstein, Wheaton; Probable career field: Psychology; Wheaton North High School, Wheaton
Rohan Upadhyay, Wheaton; Probable career field: Law; Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
Habib Rehman, Willowbrook; Probable career field: Bioinformatics; Hinsdale South High School, Darien