Two Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists

By Lawson Bowman, Shield Editor 

Two NRCA seniors were named National Merit Scholarship finalists—Haley Lee and Anna Burckart. To become a National Merit Scholarship finalist, students must meet several rigorous standards set by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Lee and Burckart’s PSAT scores from their junior year of high school qualified them to be eligible for a detailed finalist scholarship application. The 11th-grade PSAT is also known as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).  

Lee and Burckart went through the finalist application, and they had positive experiences through the process. Lee said, “Going through the semifinalist process taught me more about college and scholar research processes, so I am grateful to have been able to go through the semifinal process and ultimately receive the finalist status.” 

Burckart did not expect to meet the requirements of a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist when she took the NMSQT at the beginning of 11th grade in the elementary gym. To qualify as a semifinalist, students must score in the top 1% of test-takers. “As a semifinalist, I applied to become a finalist by writing an essay and reporting my test scores and extracurriculars, and now, I am truly honored to be named a finalist,” Burckart said.  

Additional requirements for the finalist application included the following: an SAT or ACT score that confirms PSAT performance, a well-written personal essay, a list of leadership roles and extracurricular activities, and a strong recommendation from a school official.  

NRCA’s Director of Academic Advising, Susan Etheridge, said, “I am so excited for Haley and Anna. Becoming a National Merit Scholarship finalist is a prestigious achievement that can lead to scholarship opportunities and significant recognition.”  

Lee and Burckart are both extremely involved in their communities and academics. Burckart plans to go to college and graduate school for biomedical engineering. Burckart said, “I want to become a researcher who works in neural engineering/neurorobotics  and work with medical devices that treat neurological disorders.”  

Lee said she wishes “to study philosophy and possibly write for literary and film criticism magazines on campus, as well as participate in various civic knowledge projects and teach philosophy to neighboring communities outside the college.”  

NRCA is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of these members of the Class of 2025.