Melissa High School is celebrating six students recognized in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. Each year, over 1.3 million students take the PSAT/NMSQT, and only around 50,000 of those students with the highest scores earn recognition through the program. The National Merit Scholarship is a prestigious honor awarded to high-achieving U.S. high school students who demonstrate academic excellence, and we are so proud of these Cardinals:
Alisa Puzanova was named a National Merit Semifinalist, placing her among the top students in the nation.
Ayan Bhardwaj, Caleb Glory, Nathaniel Goodman, Jonah Kanz, and Sanyuri Puri were honored as National Merit Commended Scholars for their outstanding PSAT/NMSQT scores.
While the Commended Scholars receive recognition for their strong scores, the Semifinalist faces additional requirements to advance toward becoming a Finalist and potentially winning a scholarship. Only around 16,000 students nationwide achieve semifinalist standing, making this a significant accomplishment.
As Alisa begins the next phase of the National Merit process, she will submit a scholarship application, write an essay, secure an endorsement from the school, and confirm test scores. Melissa High School and the community will be following with pride, as advancing to Finalist status could lead to earning one of the scholarships awarded next spring.
Melissa ISD is proud of these students, whose achievements reflect their hard work and the support of their families, teachers, and community. Earning recognition at the national level marks an important milestone as they prepare for future college and career opportunities.
To learn more about the National Merit Scholarship Program and the rest of Alisa’s journey to the scholarship, please visit National Merit Scholarship Program Announcements.