Rockwall ISD announces two National Merit Semifinalists

Harrison McDonald is one of two National Merit Semifinalists from Rockwall High School.

Rockwall, TX (September 15, 2025) – Two Rockwall ISD high school students have been named 2026 National Merit Semifinalists. Congratulations to Rockwall High School seniors Harrison McDonald and Seth Paden!

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing in February, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

Over 1.3 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools across the U.S. entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Press release submitted by Luci Mouton, Rockwall ISD, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News. Courtesy photos.

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