Ten Los Alamos High School Seniors Named 2026 National Merit Finalists
Ten Los Alamos High School seniors were named finalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, with at least seven students fully identified in local coverage.
Seven Los Alamos High School seniors have been confirmed by name among the ten finalists the school placed in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program: Jasper Carpenter, Henry Gans, James Ito, John Kang, Galina Nelson, Anya Seet, and Alyssa Sun. A partial listing published March 19 also shows a truncated eighth entry beginning "Jame," and two additional finalist names were not available in the published copy. LAHS has not yet released a complete official list.
Reaching Finalist standing requires more than a strong qualifying test score. A semifinalist and a high school official must jointly submit a detailed scholarship application covering the student's academic record, school and community activities, leadership, employment, and honors received. The student must also write an essay, secure an endorsement from a school official, and submit SAT or ACT scores confirming the earlier qualifying-test performance.
The ten finalists now compete for a share of more than 6,800 merit scholarships available nationally. In a prior cycle, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation offered 7,140 scholarships worth nearly $28 million. Nationally, about 95 percent of semifinalists advance to finalist standing, and roughly half of all finalists ultimately win a scholarship and earn the Merit Scholar title.
The 2026 class represents a significant jump from LAHS's 2025 cohort, when six seniors, Zoe Bent, Xiaran Chen, Kieran Gattiker, Linnhtet Htoon, Henry O'Neil, and Zane Pedersen, were named finalists. The year before that, eleven LAHS seniors reached semifinalist status in the 69th annual program, among 16,000 semifinalists chosen nationwide.
The school's sustained performance in the competition reflects a broader academic profile. According to a 2022-2023 school profile, LAHS produced 14 finalists from the class of 2020, 12 from the class of 2021, and 10 from the class of 2022. The class of 2023 had 18 semifinalists, though the profile does not list a corresponding finalist total for that year. LAHS students in the class of 2022 posted a mean composite SAT score of 1,100, compared to the national mean of 959 and the New Mexico mean of 888. That same year, 80 percent of the 543 AP exams taken at the school resulted in scores of 3 or higher.
When LAHS's 2024 semifinalists were honored at a school luncheon, Principal Renee Dunwoody told the group: "We are very proud of you, your dedication and hard work."
The full list of 2026 finalists, along with any statements from school leadership, is expected to be released through Los Alamos Public Schools.
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