Twelve students in Jefferson Parish Schools have been named semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. The 2024 National Merit semifinalists in JP Schools are:

Haynes Academy For Advanced Studies:

• Livy Best
• Julian Callender
• Unmesh Chakravarty
• Nischay Pothineni
• Aamir Qureshi
• Elias Raki
• Ronin Ratard
• My Thai
• Cullen Wigley

Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy:

• Erica Ingraham
• Jadon Lieu
• Nolan Rockefeller

“Congratulations to these exceptional students for their persistent dedication to academic excellence," said JP Schools Superintendent Dr. James Gray. "Their outstanding achievements make our school system and state proud.”

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. 

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic scholarship competition for high school students that began in 1955. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.