20 CPS Students Earn Spot Among Nation’s Academic Standouts

Twenty Cincinnati Public Schools students are among the nation’s highest-achieving high school seniors, earning recognition as Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.

All 20 students attend Walnut Hills High School, where a culture of academic curiosity, challenge and achievement continues to open doors for CPS students.

The students are among approximately 16,000 seniors nationwide named Semifinalists in this year’s program. They earned the distinction based on their performance on the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), placing them among the highest-scoring students in the state.

The 20 CPS students named National Merit Semifinalists are:
 

• Milo Althoff
• Liam Christie
• Eleanor Jackson
• Sanya Joshi
• Tyler Kelley
• Anthony Kesler
• Samarth Khandelwal
• Violet Kimnach
• Matias Melvin
• Cadence Okuwobi
• Rishi Pampati
• Himani Patel
• Lillian Pavelka
• Paul Sellinger
• Camille Smith
• Olivia Swift
• Armaan Tindni
• Riya Tummala
• Ayani Wagh
• Kenneth Wu

National Merit Semifinalists will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarships that will be awarded in 2027.

To become Finalists, students must complete a detailed scholarship application, maintain an outstanding academic record, receive a recommendation from a school official and meet other program requirements.

Congratulations to this year’s semifinalists!