TRUMBULL—St Joseph High School, striving to be Southern Connecticut’s premier college preparatory school, announced today that two of their Senior students, Lavanya Sambaraju and Manjodh (Joe) Singh, have been selected as 2018 National Merit® Scholarship Semifinalists.
Officials of The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced on Wednesday the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 63rd annual National Merit® Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring.
“We could not be happier! Joe and Lavanya are two of our top students,” remarked Dr. James Keane, Principal of St Joseph High School. “They are also each extraordinarily involved in our vast school community. They represent the best of the very best of St. Joes! This National Merit recognition further validates their accomplishments and the strength of our academic program.”
About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and including the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
Lavanya Sambaraju came to St Joseph High School from St Joseph School in Shelton, CT. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the AV Club, the Writing Center, and Yearbook. In addition, she is on the St Joseph track team, running long distance. Lavanya plans on applying to at least 10 colleges to study medicine.
Manjodh (Joe) Singh also came to St Joseph High School from Shelton – from Holy Trinity Catholic Academy (formerly St Lawrence School). Joe is a member of the Math, Guitar, Debate, Stock Market, and Model UN clubs, as well as the Boy Scouts of America. He also plans on applying to at least 10 colleges and becoming a pre-med major, with a concentration in surgery.
About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title. St Joseph High School is proud to count two Semifinalists among our graduating class and we wish them both the best of luck as they move forward through the scholarship program.
About St Joseph High School
St Joseph High School (SJHS) strives to be the premier college preparatory school in Southern Connecticut. The school provides a learning environment that embraces the Gospel values of the Roman Catholic faith and promotes a commitment to family and community. SJHS prepares young women and men to realize their potential, helps them to excel in higher education, and provides a foundation to guide them throughout their lives because where you go to high school matters. St Joseph High School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. www.sjcadets.org
About National Merit Scholarship Corporation
NMSC, a not-for-profi t corporation that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 420 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence. www.nationalmerit.org
