Schools

Nine diocesan students named National Merit finalists

Nine diocesan high school seniors were named finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The finalists include: Samuel Paparo of Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria; Grace Halford of Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington; and Maria Horner of Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Dumfries.

According to Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, this year there was a school record of six finalists: Benjamin Barrett, Stephen Artner, Landon Labuskes, Vernon Andrade, Thomas Sheehan and Allison Potter.

The National Merit Scholarship competition begins with the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which is taken in the fall of junior year. Of the approximately 1.6 million entrants, only 15,000 become finalists.

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