Taylor High School Has Two National Merit Scholarship Finalists

Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 11:24 AM

Lee Garber-Ford and Anthony Martini are moving on to the next round of the competition.

Shutterstock photo.

(Cleves, Oh.) – Two Taylor High School students have been named National Merit Scholarship Finalists.

The school district announced Tuesday that Lee Garber-Ford and Anthony Martini received official word on February 16 that they have advanced to the next stage of the competition.

From approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level. Around half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship.

Three types of scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2022. Every finalist will compete for one of the 2,500 National Merit Scholarships of $2,500 each. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 220 corporations and business organizations for Finalist who meet their specified criteria, and about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.

Finalists are evaluated based on academic record, their school’s curriculum and grading system, PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score, the high school official’s written recommendation, extracurricular activities, leadership skills, and the Finalist’s own essay.

Taylor High School Principal Mark Smiley released the following statement on the Three Rivers Schools blog:

" We are very proud of Lee and Anthony for their academic achievements and for the prestigious honor of being named National Merit Finalists! Lee and Tony are fine ambassadors for Taylor High School, whose scholarship, service, and character exemplify our district goal of student success. Their recognition is also an excellent example of the academic programming and opportunities available for our students in the Three Rivers Local School District and has set a high standard for future students to strive to achieve. Congratulations to both Lee and Tony!"