Brookfield Central High School is proud to recognize 15 members of the Class of 2026 who have been named National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists:

Leon Cao, Owen England, Victor Han, Kevin Hou, Nish Kumar, Aidan Liu, Benji Lu, Vaishnavi Mayya, Vinayak Menon, Meera Nammi, Ishani Nayak, Krisha Pakala, Shreya Panda, Vaidehi Ramachandrula, and Andrey Semin.

Each year, approximately 1.3 million juniors nationwide enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). Of these students, only about 16,000 earn Semifinalist status, placing them among the top one percent of high school seniors in the country.

To become Semifinalists, students must demonstrate outstanding academic ability, strong test performance, and consistent achievement throughout high school. This recognition reflects years of dedication and hard work in the classroom. Principal Brett Gruetzmacher shared, “This honor represents the hard work and dedication of our students, and it is a celebration for their families and the entire BC community. We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to see what lies ahead for each of them.”

Semifinalists will now submit scholarship applications and recommendations in hopes of advancing to Finalist standing and competing for one of 6,930 National Merit Scholarships awarded next spring.

We congratulate these exceptional students on this outstanding accomplishment and wish them the best as they continue in the competition!