At the most recent Community Meeting, Head of School Theresa Kiernan announced Eliza Chiles ‘26 has been named a Semifinalist in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. Over 1.3 million juniors entered the Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. Chiles now has the opportunity to advance to the Finalist level in order to compete for a National Merit Scholarship offered in the spring.
Additionally, six Trinity Hall seniors have been named Commended Students in the Program. Approximately 34,000 students across the country have been recognized for this accomplishment. Based on their scores on the PSAT/NMSQT, Alexis Chaves, Anna Martin, Kate Schweikert, Cornelia Sweeney, Emily Venezia, and Sands Webber all received a letter of commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) for their achievement. Although they will not continue on in the competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2026 competition by taking the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT.
“Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” said a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”
Trinity Hall congratulates Eliza, Alexis, Anna, Kate, Cornelia, Emily, and Sands on these amazing accomplishments!