September 15, 2026 — Sixteen Wheeler High School seniors have earned recognition as semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing them among an exceptional group of students recognized for academic achievement nationwide.
Congratulations to Wheeler’s 2027 National Merit Semifinalists:
- Caleb Amerau
- Trevor Anderson
- Rafael Aragon
- Nathan W. Deng
- Eason Fang
- Charles Heuser
- Jack Hong
- Vyom Krishna
- Aaron Mok
- Nevaan Nigam
- Shreyan Patel
- Lars Peterson
- Pranav SenthilKumar
- Andrew Squires
- Daniel Stafford
- Falak Upadhyay
More than 1.2 million students entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Wheeler’s semifinalists are now among approximately 16,000 seniors nationwide—less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors—who have advanced in the competition.
The students will have an opportunity to compete for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million.
To advance to Finalist standing, each semifinalist must work with a school official to complete a detailed scholarship application. Candidates must demonstrate an outstanding academic record, receive a school endorsement, submit an essay, and provide SAT or ACT scores that confirm their qualifying-test performance.
Applications also highlight students’ leadership, honors, employment, and involvement in their school and community. Approximately 95% of semifinalists are expected to become Finalists. Finalists will be notified in February, and the 2027 National Merit Scholarship recipients will be selected from that group.
This achievement reflects the talent, discipline, and determination of Wheeler’s students, as well as the support of their families, teachers, counselors, and school community. Congratulations to these 16 outstanding Wildcats!
