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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Twenty-nine high school seniors from Brevard County have been named Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, a distinction earned by less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.

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The announcement, made this week by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, recognizes students with exceptional academic ability and potential for success in college. More than 1.3 million juniors entered the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in 2024, with only the highest scorers advancing to the Semifinalist round.

These students now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarships worth about $26 million that will be awarded in spring 2026. About 95 percent of Semifinalists are expected to advance to Finalist status, and roughly half of all Finalists will earn scholarships.

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Brevard County’s 2026 National Merit Semifinalists

Cocoa Beach High School

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• Lucy Cummings

Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (Melbourne)

• Elle Canlas
• Alessandra Jackson
• Brittany Shen
• Alina Zaidi

Homeschool / Online Schools (Melbourne)

• Luke M. Branan
• Isaiah Dorn

Melbourne High School

• Amelia D. Curtis

Viera High School

• Tyler A. Blood
• Brian L. Borbath
• Jane E. Brooker
• Tyler R. Chen
• Isaac A. Moss
• Andrew Sun

West Shore Jr./Sr. High (Melbourne)

• Aryan Ashta
• Carter D. Beilman
• John M. Grimison
• Andy Guan
• Lindsey J. Hoffmann
• Manan M. Jani
• Samuel R. Shuster
• Rhea Sinha

Edgewood Jr./Sr. High (Merritt Island)

• Twisha Bhattacharyya
• Nirvaan A. Dalal
• Twisha T. Mehta
• Eleanor E. Murphy
• Mary P. Penny
• Jacob R. Vellody
• Sebastian C. Woodrich26 FL Semifinalists-NatlMeritPr…

What Comes Next

To move forward in the competition, each student and their school must submit a detailed scholarship application. This includes academic records, leadership activities, community involvement, and an essay. Finalists will be announced in February 2026, and scholarship winners will be revealed beginning in April.

Since its founding in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Program has recognized nearly 390,000 students nationwide for their academic excellence.

Brevard’s strong showing in this year’s competition highlights the county’s tradition of academic achievement.

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