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.
