Saint Viator Congratulates National Merit Semifinalists
Saint Viator High School proudly announces that three seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists today by officials with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. They are Owen Kelly, Henry Marshall, and Aidan McLeod.
They are among the academically talented high school seniors who have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.
“The achievement of these students — that is, to be recognized as the best of the best — is not only a source of pride for their families but for their teachers, classmates, and Saint Viator High School,” says Principal Jon Baffico. “Their efforts are another prime example of the outstanding and rigorous academic environment that our faculty and staff provide for our students and their families. This recognition is another reason we are all proud to be Lions!"
These students are among a national pool of semifinalists who represent less than 1% of high school seniors and are among the highest-scoring entrants in each state. But as Saint Viator students they are also well-rounded and excel in and out of the classroom.
- Owen Kelly has participated in STEM activities such as the Coding Club all four years at Saint Viator, but he also has participated in band, cross country his freshman year, tennis, and on the staff of the Viator Voice newspaper. Last year, he was inducted into the National Honor Society.
- Henry Marshall has participated in boys’ basketball and track and field during his three years at Viator, and he, too, was inducted into the National Honor Society last year. He is a member of the Spanish National Honor Society and the Math Honor Society, and he won department awards in math, Spanish, English, science, and history.
- Aidan McLeod is a Querbes Scholar, who has competed on the Scholastic Bowl team since sophomore year. He is a student-athlete, having played football all four years, lacrosse through sophomore, and track and field junior year while also performing in the concert and jazz band. For the past two years, he has contributed to the Viator Voice student newspaper; he was inducted into the National Honor Society last year; he is active in campus ministry, and this year, he was elected to Student Council. He is also working on completing his Eagle Scout Award.
These students were among the 1.3 million juniors – from 21,000 high schools across the country – who entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. They were named semifinalists based on their PSAT scores taken in 2023, or the fall of their junior year.
More than 90% of semifinalists advance to become a finalist. To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist's academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test.
National Merit Scholars are selected from this group based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. National Merit Scholarship winners will begin to be announced in April.
Saint Viator High School
Located in Arlington Heights, IL, Saint Viator High School is a private, co-ed, Catholic school for grades 9-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.
