Hanford High School Student Named 2022 National Merit Finalist

Meet your 2022 National Merit Finalist from Hanford High School, Maia DeMeyer!

Maia was named one of two semifinalists from the Tri-City area in the fall of 2021. Now as a Finalist, she is eligible for a variety of scholarships either directly from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation or one of its corporate or college sponsors. Only 5 percent of students take the PSAT are selected as Finalists.

Maia is a member of Hanford’s Cybersecurity club and aspires to work in the cybersecurity field after college. She likes knowing that her work helps makes someone else’s online experience safe and secure. Maia also participates in Hanford’s Work-Based Learning program at Richland School District’s IT offices.

“Maia is an incredibly strong student but even more importantly, she shows kindness and care to those around her,” Julianne Atencio, Hanford school counselor said. “Any college and future employer will be lucky to have Maia as part of their team. Her concern for others, along with her academic ability, will make her unstoppable.”

There were also 11 Commended Students recognized from Hanford High and one from Three Rivers HomeLink. Commended Students show an exceptional academic promise which is demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the PSAT. Hanford High students are Megan Aichele, Olivia Baker, Alyssa Bonheyo, Jana Chiang, Sankar Harilal, Micah Landers, Christina Lansing, Hannah Qian, Sydney Smith, Emily Sperry and Austin Wang. Clayton Picket is the Commended Student from Three Rivers HomeLink.