9 Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

Posted Date: 10/04/2023

Nine seniors from Union High School have been named 2023-2024 National Merit Semifinalists:

• Chase Call, son of Chad & Judith Call of Broken Arrow;
• Akshit Devarapalli, son of Venkateswarlu Devarapalli and Sujeena Mallampudi of Bixby;
• Ivan Herrera, son of Graciela Herrera and Javier Herrera of Tulsa;
• Tanner Jarvis, son of Nicole Jarvis and David Jarvis of Tulsa;
• Raashi Karande, daughter of Amit & Lakshmi Karande of Broken Arrow;
• Price Martin, son of Joe & Suzanne Martin, Bixby
• Nancy Nguyen, daughter of Nhan Nguyen and An Tonnu of Broken Arrow;
• Oluwajuwuralo Oyedele, daughter of Oyedeji and Taiwo Oyedele of Broken Arrow;
• Abigail Tan – daughter of Chibing Tan and Zhimei Liang of Broken Arrow.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 440 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

To participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program, a student must:

• Be enrolled full time as a high school student, progressing normally toward graduation or completion of high school, and planning to enter college no later than the fall following completion of high school;
• Be a citizen of the United States or, if not now a citizen, a permanent U.S. resident (or an applicant for permanent residency) in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen; and
• Take the PSAT/NMSQT ® in the specified year of the high school program and no later than the third year in grades 9 through 12, regardless of grade classification or educational pattern.

Nine seniors have been named 2023-2024 National Merit Semifinalists at Union High School, 6636 S. Mingo Road. They are pictured here: left to right, sitting, Raashi Karande, Nancy Nguyen, Abigail Tan, Oluwajuwuralo Oyedele; and standing, Ivan Herrera, Chase Call, Tanner Jarvis, Akshit Devarapalli, and Price Martin.