2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Announced

The Okaloosa County School District is thrilled to announce the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and Commended Students and is incredibly proud of the students who have earned these prestigious honors.

"I am extremely proud of these students and their dedication in achieving this recognition," said Superintendent Chambers. "The process is rigorous, and those honored at any level for their academic excellence deserve it."

To qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students must take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in the fall of their junior year. Semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and are the highest-scoring entrants. To advance to Finalist status and compete for one of the 6,870 National Merit Scholarships, valued at nearly $26 million, students must submit a comprehensive scholarship application, maintain an exceptional academic record, receive a school official's endorsement, write an essay, and achieve SAT or ACT scores that validate their earlier performance.

This year, two students from Niceville High School—Lily Suttlemyre and William Cupp (pictured here) —earned this distinction, along with Jonathan Curtis and Tina Le from Choctawhatchee High School.