Sawyer Lavaley Named Semifinalist in 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program
Launch the media gallery 1 playerWahoo High School is excited to announce that Sawyer Lavaley has been selected as a Semifinalist in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. National Merit Semifinalists represent less than 1% of all high school seniors.
“Sawyer is a high achieving academic student and a great representative of Wahoo High School. He takes his studies very seriously and is very deserving of this recognition,” said Wahoo High School Principal, Vernon Golladay.
High school students enter the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of more than 16,000 Semifinalists includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.
“Sawyer being named as a National Merit Semifinalist for 2025 not only reflects his dedication and intelligence, but also spotlights him as a role model for future students at Wahoo High School. Sawyer is comfortable in his own skin and is not afraid to be his authentic self,” Golladay said.
About 15,000 students are expected to advance to the Finalist level in February. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and their high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application with the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, honors,
endorsements and an essay. Semifinalists will then compete for 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth $26 million that will be announced next spring.
“Wahoo High School is incredibly proud of Sawyer,” said Golladay. “He is an outstanding student and sets a great example for others to follow. This recognition is a significant achievement, reflecting his intelligence, tenacity, and diligence. I am confident he will find success in whatever field he chooses.”