Blaine High School senior Alexis Wagenfeld named National Merit Scholar
(05/10/19) Blaine High School’s (BHS) Alexis Wagenfeld has earned one of the highest honors a graduating senior can receive: she’s been named a National Merit Scholar.
Earlier this week, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced this year’s winners who have earned the distinction of being a National Merit Scholar, and the $2,500 scholarship that comes with it. Wagenfeld joins just 44 others from the state of Minnesota to be named National Merit Scholars.
All told, Anoka-Hennepin had 10 finalists for recognition. Wagenfeld was joined by BHS seniors Camryn Heinen, Clayton Paquin, and Brandon Wagenfeld; as well as Lauren Bastian and Michael Goldstein from Anoka High School; and Champlin Park High School seniors Andrew Coenen, Kailey Johnson, Vincent Kroll, and Zachary Tverberg.
Students are chosen to become finalists to be National Merit Scholars based their PSAT scores, which is the practice version of the SAT they take during their junior year. About 1.5 million students around the country take the test, and from those scores, about 16,000 semifinalists are chosen, who must then submit applications to become a finalist. Of those nationwide finalists, 2,500 will be named National Merit Scholars and receive a one-time $2,500 National Merit Scholarship, which is what Wagenfeld earned. The remaining finalists will receive the college- and corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships, ranging from $500 to $2,000 per year.
Last month, it was announced Goldstein had earned a corporate scholarship, and later this month the NMSC will announce further corporate-sponsored scholarship recipients, as well as college-sponsored National Merit scholarships, which will go to finalists who plan to attend specific institutions.