TWO RUSSELLVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS NAMED NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP SEMIFINALISTS
Russellville School District is proud to announce that two Russellville High School senior students have been named 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The students are Claire Cains and Sarah Shoptaw.
Cains and Shoptaw were selected as Semifinalists from approximately 50,000 academically-talented high school students across the United States. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.
These two RHS seniors will have the opportunity to advance to the Finalist level and compete for National Merit Scholarships. This marks the second consecutive year that RHS students have earned National Merit Semifinalist recognition, highlighting a continued trend of academic excellence within the district.
“Sarah and Claire are great examples of what we want to see in our students,” said Dr. Nic Mounts, principal of Russellville High School. “They have dedicated themselves to achieving at a high level, and this prestigious honor validates their hard work. I am incredibly proud of them for receiving this award.”
“We are thrilled to see our students being honored by such a respected national program for the second year in a row. It highlights the tremendous talent we have at Russellville High School and the academic support that’s in place. Congratulations to Claire, Sarah, and the entire Cyclone community!” said Mrs. Holli Hall, RSD Board of Education President.
RSD Superintendent, Dr. Ginni McDonald commented, “Seeing Claire and Sarah recognized as National Merit Semifinalists is a proud moment for our district. This honor reflects their dedication, as well as the strong educational foundation provided by our teachers and staff. We’re excited to see what the future holds for them as they continue in this competition,”.
Semifinalists are qualified based on their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). The 2023 PSAT/NMSQT® served as an initial screen of over 1.3 million entrants to the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Claire and Sarah will be recognized as Semifinalists in a nationwide press release, and a complete list of Semifinalists will be sent to four-year U.S. colleges and universities.
To become a Finalist, each Semifinalist must complete the National Merit Scholarship Application using NMSC’s Online Scholarship Application (OSA) and fulfill several other requirements. Finalists will be notified in February 2025.
Congratulations, Claire and Sarah! Go Cyclones!