12 GPS Students Recognized as Semifinalists in National Merit Scholarship Program
12 GPS Students Recognized as Semifinalists in National Merit Scholarship Program
12 students across Gilbert Public Schools have been named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, a prestigious award that recognizes the top 1% of U.S. high school seniors. These students, representing Campo Verde High, Gilbert Classical Academy, Gilbert High, and Highland High, each took a unique path to becoming a semifinalist, excelling in a variety of academic disciplines and participating in diverse extracurricular activities.
The following students were selected to be semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program based on their exceptional scores on the PSAT or the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).
- Campo Verde High: Ryan P. Donlon, Matthew C. Duty, Brendan J. Schaefer, and Sofie Theurer.
- Gilbert Classical Academy: Kaiser Chen, Paul-Matteo D. Cristobal, Kyle M. Jones, and Shivang Parmar.
- Gilbert High: Alexandra R. Cardine, Dean C. Smith, and Jonas R. Theriot.
- Highland High: Jacob Black.
Each student demonstrates the diverse academic paths available to students within GPS, excelling in a mix of rigorous coursework. Some students have exclusively taken Honors and AP classes in core subjects, while students from Gilbert High are IB Diploma Programme candidates who have also taken AP and art courses in addition to their IB curriculum. Other students have taken a mix of AP, Dual Enrollment, and Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses. In addition to their academic achievements, these students have also participated in many different extracurricular activities, including advanced vocal ensemble/choir, concert and jazz bands, tennis, and sports training classes. Among the semifinalists, Sofie Theurer from Campo Verde High earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, a feat that only 3,041 out of 1.37 million (0.22%) test takers achieve.
Looking to the future, these students have already started planning for their post-graduation goals. Several of the semifinalists are preparing for college, with one student interested in pursuing a pre-veterinary program at Arizona State University. Others are applying to high-regarded universities, with one student applying to the University of Chicago and Stanford University, and another planning to attend Brigham Young University after a mission for his church. Two other students plan to major in STEM-focused fields, with one planning on studying biomedical engineering and another studying data science.
To advance to the Finalist level, students must submit a detailed application, maintain a strong academic record, and earn high SAT or ACT scores that confirm their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. Finalists then compete for scholarships worth nearly $26 million, including National Merit Scholarships, corporate-sponsored awards, and college-sponsored awards, which are announced in national news releases throughout the 2025 spring and summer.
To learn more about the many academic programs that have helped these students become National Merit Scholars, visit GilbertSchools.net/Teaching-Learning/Academic-Programs.
