HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Two Hutchinson High School students have been named National Merit Semifinalist for 2022. Thaddaeus Blakley and Micah Wenger are up for the prestigious award.
Both students entered the 2022 competition by taking the 2020 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. As a semifinalist, Blakley and Wenger represent two of 16,000 semifinalists, which account for less than 1 percent of each state’s high school seniors.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual competition that recognizes academic excellence in high school students. The program is conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which dates back to 1955.
“I was extremely relieved to hear that I was a semifinalist,” Blakley said. “I had prepared for months and worked extraordinarily hard to get a good score. I would tell other students taking the test to not leave anything up to chance. Enjoy preparing for the test.”
“I took the test sophomore and junior year because it only counts once you’re a senior,” Wenger said. “It’s kind of nice to have the recognition that I did well.”
To become finalists, Blakley and Wenger will need to meet additional standards that take into account test scores, volunteer service, honors and awards, and leadership positions. If these requirements are met, the two seniors are in the running to receive one of three types of scholarships offered by the National Merit Scholarship Program. The recipients of these scholarships will be announced in the spring of 2022.
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