Local students honored at National Merit Acknowledgement Night

Warwick Valley High School Principal Georgianna Diopoulos announced on Tuesday, October 24, that senior Ava Gell was honored as a National Merit Semifinalist.

Diopoulos also honored five high school students who have been named Commended Students in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program: Melina Garby, Paxton Honerkamp, Bianca Monaco-Kron, Suyash Srivastava, and Conrad Wendell.

A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) was presented to each of these seniors at National Merit Acknowledgement Night at the high school where an additional 20 students were honored with designations such as National Rural and Small Town Award, National African American Recognition Award, National Hispanic Recognition Award, and National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.

“It was a pleasure recognizing these students for their tireless work, and such a prestigious accomplishment,” said Diopoulous.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. NMSC Commended Students are among the top 50,000 students to enter the competition by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

The NMSC recognizes students who they regard as a “valuable national resource,” and “[recognizes] their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development.”

The complete list of honorees can be found below.

Naa Korkoi Aryeetey, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

National African American Recognition Award

National Hispanic Recognition Award

Killian Bauman, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Ava Cauda, junior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Ian Doherty, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Megan Forman, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Melina Garby, senior

National Merit Commended Status

Ava Gell, senior

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

Talia Hartigan, senior

National Hispanic Recognition Award

Julianna Hayden, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Gillian Hayeck, junior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Olivia Holland, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Paxton Honerkamp, senior

National Merit Commended Status

Chloe Jarrous, senior

National Hispanic Recognition Award

Zachary Johnston, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Athena Lazina, senior

National Hispanic Recognition Award

Kayla Ludovicy, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Bianca Monaco-Kron, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

National Hispanic Recognition Award

National Merit Commended Status

Reagan Oswald, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

National African American Recognition Award

Miller Pritchard, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Caroline Rourke, junior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Sophia Samborski, senior

National Hispanic Recognition Award

National African American Recognition Award

Tanya Sinha, senior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Suyash Srivastava, senior

National Merit Commended Status

National Rural and Small Town Award

Sara Venter, junior

National Rural and Small Town Award

Conrad Wendell, senior

National Merit Commended Status

Selvin White, junior

National African American Recognition Award