Broken Arrow Public Schools is excited to announce our district's 2025-26 National Merit® Semifinalists. Ten Broken Arrow High School students have been recognized for their academic achievements by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Madison Christ, Kellen Disney, Elijah Doolen, Jaxon Flesch, Ethan Hawksworth, Drew Henness, Yireh Oh, James Rogers, Jaren Tarver and Umar Abdullah Vasani are among approximately 16,000 students from across the nation who have qualified for this honor and are some of the highest scoring in the state of Oklahoma.
These students now have the opportunity to advance to the National Merit Finalist standing by meeting high academic standards and additional requirements.
“Congratulations to our National Merit Semifinalists on this outstanding achievement that reflects their years of hard work and determination,” said Broken Arrow Public Schools Superintendent Chuck Perry. “Behind every student's success stands a team of parents, teachers, and mentors who have invested in these students’ journeys. This honor celebrates not just academic excellence, but the collective effort of a community committed to preparing our students to thrive as future leaders and productive citizens.”
Established in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Program is a long-standing academic competition for recognition and scholarships. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which serves as an initial screen of over 1.3 million entrants each year. From there, 34,000 students are commended and 16,000 semifinalists are chosen. Every year in February, 15,000 finalists are chosen based on their abilities, skills and accomplishments. From March to mid-June, approximately 8,000 finalists will be selected to receive a scholarship award, which includes National Merit Scholarships as well as corporate- and college-sponsored scholarships.
For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Competition, please visit http://www.nationalmerit.org/.