Pursuing Academic Excellence
Congratulations to Ryan Schwartz ’27, Alicia Zawistowski ’27, Monica Lynn ’27, and Bridget Fidkowski ’27! These four FGR students were named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among only 535 students in Michigan and 16,000 nationwide to earn the distinction out of 1.3 million students who entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Semifinalists represent the top 1% of high school seniors in the United States. These students will have the opportunity to compete for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million.
To become finalists, which will be announced in February, Alicia, Bridget, Monica, and Ryan must now submit applications outlining their academic and extra-curricular achievements and involvement. From there, sponsoring companies and colleges or universities may choose to award the students scholarships. For now, achieving the status of semifinalist often attracts the attention of non-participating colleges and universities, placing the students in strong contention for admittance and additional scholarship opportunities.