Franklin High School senior Gavin Warnakulasooriya was named as a Semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship after taking the Preliminary SAT. (Photo Courtesy Franklin Public Schools)
FRANKLIN — Superintendent Lucas Giguere and Principal Maria Weber are pleased to share that a Franklin High School student was named as a Semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), while 10 fellow seniors were honored as Commended Students.
Those Franklin High seniors recognized as Commended Students by NMSC as part of its 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program include the following: Arden Meyer, Ridika Gandla, Aodhfionn Downs, Charles Nash, Krithi Rajesh, Emma Anderson, Arsh Tyagi, Jonathan Mabardy, Keshan Kumar and Pranava Ponvinayagan.
They join about 34,000 Commended Students from throughout the country who are now being honored by NMSC for their exceptional academic promise. They were originally identified from a group of 50,000 top finishers in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, also known as the Preliminary SAT, serving as the initial screen of program entrants.
In addition to the Commended Student honorees, Franklin High School senior Gavin Warnakulasooriya was named as a Semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship after taking the Preliminary SAT.
NMSC recently named more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, who each have an opportunity to further demonstrate high academic achievement and leadership in an application for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million, along with the title of Merit Scholar. (More than 1.3 million juniors took the Preliminary SAT last year, meaning the nationwide pool of semifinalists represents about 1% of U.S. high school seniors.)
NMSC congratulated all of its Semifinalists and Commended Student honorees.
“These students represent a valuable national resource,” according to a statement from NMSC. “Recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”
Superintendent Lucas Giguere and Principal Maria Weber congratulated Franklin High School’s 10 Commended Students and its National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.
“I am thrilled to see our students acknowledged for their dedication, hard work and achievements,” Principal Weber said. “Their accomplishments in the classroom are inspiring and demonstrate their outstanding potential. Congratulations to Gavin, Arden, Ridika, Aodhfionn, Charles, Krithi, Emma, Arsh, Jonathan, Keshan and Pranava. I’m excited to see the great things they will do next in their academic careers and beyond.”
“We are immensely proud of our Franklin High School seniors who earned recognition from NMSC as a Commended Student or National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist,” said Superintendent Giguere. “These academic achievements are a demonstration of the drive, hard work, and talents of our students. We’re grateful that they are all now being celebrated for these accomplishments.”
About National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Since its founding, NMSC has recognized over 3.4 million students and provided some 451,000 scholarships worth over $1.8 billion. The honors awarded by NMSC to exceptionally able students are viewed as definitive marks of excellence. Recipients of Merit Scholarship® awards, Achievement Scholarship® awards, and corporate-sponsored Special Scholarships have increased the nation’s respect for intellectual accomplishments and have contributed significantly to its talent pool of future leaders.
###
Ten students from Franklin High School were named Commended Students by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. From left to right, Arden Meyer, Ridika Gandla, Aodhfionn Downs, Charles Nash, Krithi Rajesh, Emma Anderson, Arsh Tyagi, Jonathan Mabardy and Keshan Kumar. Pranava Ponvinayagan (not pictured) was also honored as a Commended Student. (Photo Courtesy Franklin Public Schools)
Discover more from John Guilfoil Public Relations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.