Four Hanford High Students Named National Merit Semifinalists for 2027

We are excited to announce that four of our outstanding high school students have been named National Merit Semifinalists in the prestigious 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. This significant achievement places them among the top high school scholars in the nation and recognizes their exceptional academic performance.

Hanford High School students Charlie Bales, Zayd Rahman, Aiden Wang and Daniel Xiong earned this recognition after scoring among the top 1% of students nationwide who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). They are the only National Merit Semifinalists from the Tri-Cities area.

To advance to the finalist level and be considered for National Merit Scholarships, the students will complete a comprehensive scholarship application. The process includes submitting an essay, providing information about their academic records, extracurricular activities and community involvement, and receiving a recommendation from a school official.

National Merit Finalists will be announced in spring 2027.

Congratulations to Zayd, Charlie, Aiden and Daniel on this incredible achievement! We are proud to see their hard work and dedication recognized at the national level.