Photo Credit: CFISDEducation
32 CFISD students named 2027 National Merit semifinalists
A total of 32 CFISD seniors representing eight high schools were confirmed as semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program, officials announced on Sept. 9, allowing academically talented students to continue in the competition for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million.
The following CFISD students have been named National Merit semifinalists:
| Name | High School |
| Aarush Bhavanam | Bridgeland |
| Colin Chai | Bridgeland |
| Hemish Duri | Bridgeland |
| Logan Harden | Bridgeland |
| Wyatt Hughes | Bridgeland |
| Hyojin Kang | Bridgeland |
| Mahima Lele | Bridgeland |
| Jayden Lin | Bridgeland |
| Oluwatishe Odejide | Bridgeland |
| Giriish Purushothaman | Bridgeland |
| Daniel Valdez Gonzalez | Bridgeland |
| Samarthraj Arehally Basavaraj | Cy-Fair |
| James Burke | Cy-Fair |
| Alexander Nguyen | Cy-Fair |
| Brandon Nguyen | Cy-Fair |
| Kayleigh Covington | Cypress Falls |
| Daniel Pham | Cypress Falls |
| Sophia Kelly | Cypress Ranch |
| Jeein Kim | Cypress Ranch |
| Anish Reddy Munnangi | Cypress Ranch |
| Kevalya Patel | Cypress Ranch |
| Nimesh Ramanujakootam | Cypress Ranch |
| Parth Zanwar | Cypress Ranch |
| Emily Mick | Cypress Springs |
| Travis Gibbs | Cypress Woods |
| Michelle Hung | Cypress Woods |
| Ambar Singh | Cypress Woods |
| Riya Verma | Cypress Woods |
| Prashad Wadhwa | Cypress Woods |
| Zhenhao Ye | Cypress Woods |
| Minh-Hieu Nguyen | Jersey Village |
| Sofia Nathani | Langham Creek |
The 32 semifinalists are among the more than 16,000 students throughout the U.S. who represent the top 1% of students who entered the Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit School Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) during their junior year.
To become a finalist, semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application, including information about academic records, participating in school and community activities, leadership skills, employment, and honors and awards. In addition to the scholarship application, semifinalists must be endorsed by a high school official, write an essay and earn an SAT or ACT score that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
Qualifying students will be notified of their final designation in February, with National Merit Scholarship winners announced beginning in April and concluding in July.
Source: CFISD
