Photo by Richard Hurd
Madison Metropolitan School District
Madison Metropolitan School District
41 MMSD students named National Merit Scholarship Program finalists, most in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis.—The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) has more finalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program than any other Wisconsin district, with 41 students from three of its high schools earning the distinction.
West High School leads the state with 27 finalists. Vel Phillips Memorial High School has 10 finalists and East High School has four, bringing the districtwide total to 41.
To advance from semifinalist to finalist standing, students must submit a detailed scholarship application documenting their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. They must also be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performance on the qualifying test.
"These students have demonstrated extraordinary academic achievement, and this recognition is a testament to their hard work and the support of their families and teachers," said Dr. Joe Gothard, superintendent of MMSD. "We are incredibly proud of each of them and look forward to seeing what they accomplish next."
The program expects roughly 95 percent of semifinalists to attain finalist standing. From there, about half of finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. Last year, MMSD had 23 semifinalists, five of whom ultimately became Merit Scholars.
About 6,930 National Merit Scholarships of three types will be offered in 2026: 2,500 single-payment National Merit $2,500 Scholarships for which all finalists will be considered; about 830 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who meet a sponsor's specified criteria; and some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend their respective sponsor institutions.
MMSD's full list of finalists is as follows:
Lauren Alibali (West) | Silas Grant (West) | Mable Miller (Memorial) |
August Andersen (West) | Zijun He (West) | Enzo Ng (West) |
Josemaria Barut (East) | Isaac Hessman (West) | Josh Pierotti (Memorial) |
Joseph Beal (West) | Oliver Hoeksema (East) | Gabriela Retana (West) |
Theodore Beilfuss (East) | Anya Isaac (Memorial) | Brandon Royalty (West) |
Madeleine Bohn (West) | Naomi Jovaag (East) | Simon Sellwood (Memorial) |
Edward Bradbury (West) | Tavish Kennedy (West) | Hunter Shadman (West) |
Michelle Cai (Memorial) | Steven Kuemmel (West) | Kayla Shelton (Memorial) |
Timon Cantley (West) | Thanish Lankella (Memorial) | Ravi Suryan-Beilin (West) |
Samuel Carlsson (West) | Eleanor Lawler (West) | Beatrice Vaughan (West) |
Angelina Chang (West) | Jason Li (Memorial) | Rosemary Walsh (West) |
Christabel Engel (West) | Mae Loewen (West) | Clara Warrick (West) |
Noah Estrella (West) | Benjamin Mayeshiba (West) | Chase Xia (West) |
Raena Grainger (Memorial) | Nina Zhu (Memorial) |
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About the Madison Metropolitan School District
The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 7,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.