Nineteen SUSD students have qualified as National Merit Semifinalists, another 30 students received letters of commendation, and one student received a special achievement award. Their achievements were recognized tonight by Barbara Newby, president of the Governing Board.

According to the National Merit Scholarship Program, about 16,000 students, or approximately one-third of the 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT®, qualify as semifinalists. This year, 19 students from Scottsdale Unified School District high schools qualified. They are: Stephanie Berger, Mario Bucca, William "Austin" Davis, Avi Feller, Amanda Hess, Robin Perigoe, Gregory Weir, Kylie Welner, and Rebecca Wong, from Chaparral High School; Jessie Armendt, Alex James, Amy Kimbel, Zach Nation, Brian Polinsky, Laura Sbordone, Nick Stadie, and Katie West, from Desert Mountain High School; David Talenfeld, from Arcadia High School; and Hilary Lyons, from Saguaro High School.

Another 30 students from SUSD received letters of commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. These commended students are: Kate Bruno, Cara Christian, Joanna Chung, Matthew Cole, Ashley Ellis, Jennifer Frey, Lauren Kaye, Mitchell Manger, Amanda Murphy, Sarah Pearlstein, Jessica Rosenblum, Patrick Sandor, and Arielle Silverman, from Chaparral High School; Mikhal Gold, Thomas Harris, Adam Henry, Jason Kim, Cynthia Pena, Alexander Perkins, Whitney Ryser, Steven Sckolnik, Chelsie Sluyk, and Erika Zimmerman, from Desert Mountain High School; Corrine Cookson, Matthew Crowe, Sally Handmaker, and Michael Werth, from Arcadia High School; and Trevor Starkey, Krista Germeroth, and Rebecca Troxler, from Saguaro High School.

Additionally, Udeme Udofia, from Chaparral High School, received an achievement award for Black Americans.
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