Richland Two Announces 10 Finalists for National Merit Scholarships

Ten of 13 seniors in Richland School District Two who were semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program are now finalists. Seniors nationwide are competing for approximately 6,930 scholarships valued at nearly $26 million.

According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®), more than 1.3 million juniors from approximately 20,000 high schools entered the 2026 competition by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). 

Richland Two National Merit Scholarship finalists are Riley A. Hamilton, Christophe X. Ndemeye, Jacob W. Powell of Blythewood High School; Caroline M. Brandes of Richland Northeast High School; William R. Barkan and Tyre’un Holmes of Ridge View High School; and Ella J. Baker, Jacob A. Carter, Sreeman Parise, and Colin C. Tang of Spring Valley High School. 

Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 830 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 150 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

NMSC Scholarship winners of 2026 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.