District 99 recognizes 2024 National Merit Scholarship students

Community High School District 99 recently announced that 38 students have received recognition in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. The program recognizes high school seniors who have excelled in academics and have the potential to succeed in rigorous college studies.

District 99 students receiving the National Hispanic Recognition Award include Joshua Celio, Hannah Fedinec, Brianna Monroy and Joyce Perez of Downers Grove South and Melissa Fialek and Ethan Ruta of Downers Grove North.

District 99 students receiving the National African American Recognition Award include Samuel Kissi-Baah and Donnie Okleme of Downers Grove South.

District 99 National Merit Semifinalists include William Beatty, Dylan Hogg, Joseph Leckie, Audrey Slavkin and Ethan Weingust of Downers Grove North and Joshua Poeschel and Paul Spang of Downers Grove South.

District 99 National Merit Commended students include Tyler Balcom, Zachary Cotner, Jonas Crosley-Corcoran, Audrey Curulewski, Nathan Dorofejevas, Audrey Jayne, Zachary Mucha and Rachel Rodi of Downers Grove South and Cael Brezina, Kayley Creagan, Nathan Farrero, John Fioti, Chase Flinker, Akshay Iyengar, Patrick Kearney, Gina Liu, Iain Macaskill, Madeline Meggos, Colleen Milos, Curtis Mysliwiec, Andrew Neau, Ethan Ruta and Matthew Sirota of Downers Grove North.

Breakfasts were held at North and South high schools for students and families to celebrate the recognition.

Students entered the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. National Merit Semifinalist students will join about 16,000 seniors from across the country, representing the top 1% and will compete for scholarships.