3 More HS Students In Montgomery Co. Named National Merit Scholars

Three Montgomery County students are among just 45 students in Pennsylvania to be named college-sponsored National Merit Scholar, joining a select group of elite students from around the nation.

The students include:

• Justin Pak, Wissahickon High School, of North Wales, probable career field of dentistry, University of Florida
• Hannah Grace Liples, Perkiomen Valley High School, of Collegeville, probable career field of marine biology, Samford University
• Alexander J. Muto, North Penn High School, probable career field of music, University of North Texas

The college-sponsored scholarships mark the third and final round winners of various types of National Merit Scholarships this year. They're given to students who have committed to a specific institution.

This is separate from the winners of the National Merit $2,500 scholarship in mid-May, and the corporate-sponsored scholarship winners announced in April.

A total of 45 students in Pennsylvania were among the winners of the college-sponsored scholarships announced this week, which range from $500 to $2,000 annually for four years of undergraduate study.

Selection for the 2026 National Merit scholars began in Oct. 2024, when about one percent of students nationally taking the PSAT were selected as semifinalists.

From that field of around 16,000 semifinalists, around 15,000 met the academic standards required to continue to the finalist level of competition.

The group was further whittled down to about 6,700 students nationwide who have earned the "merit scholar" title this spring.