Los Gatos, September 24, 2025– The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District (LGSUHSD) is proud to recognize the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists following the announcement of more than 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. This year, the district celebrates 48 students who earned this prestigious honor. These students now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million, to be awarded in spring 2026.

LGHS and SHS seniors entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) during their junior year, along with over 1.3 million students from approximately 21,000 U.S. high schools. The Semifinalists represent the top one percent of U.S. high school seniors. Within LGSUHSD, this year’s Semifinalists represent the top 6% of the graduating senior class.

Join us in congratulating and recognizing our 2026 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists:

Alyssa B. Ackalloor, Los Gatos High School
Rithik Atreya, Saratoga High School
Vihaan Bhaduri, Saratoga High School
Kunal Bhatnagar, Saratoga High School
Owen J. Campbell, Los Gatos High School
Shirina Cao, Saratoga High School
Jie-Rui Chee, Saratoga High School
Cody S. Chen, Los Gatos High School
Justin B. Chen, Saratoga High School
Kathy Chen, Saratoga High School
Tzu-Wei Chung, Saratoga High School
Benjamin Davies, Saratoga High School
Richard Fan, Saratoga High School
Jacob Gechlik, Saratoga High School
Quinn M. Gifford, Saratoga High School
Alec Guan, Saratoga High School
Nicole Hao, Saratoga High School
Ho-Hsun Hsieh, Los Gatos High School
Florence Hu, Saratoga High School
Jenna Y. Kim, Los Gatos High School
Jane Lee, Saratoga High School
Liam T. Lenh, Saratoga High School
Jena Catelyn Lew, Saratoga High School
Ella Li, Saratoga High School
Ryan Liang, Saratoga High School
Matthew L. Liu, Saratoga High School
Nathan Liu, Saratoga High School
Anthony Luo, Saratoga High School
Serena S. Luo, Los Gatos High School
Diana M. Martynova, Los Gatos High School
Annemarie S. Panagopoulos, Los Gatos High School
Callan N. Robison, Los Gatos High School
Alexander V. Rollins, Los Gatos High School
Maxim D. Rombakh, Saratoga High School
Rishaun Sharma, Saratoga High School
Yash Sharma, Saratoga High School
Ryan Sun, Saratoga High School
Joseph Eric W. Tsang, Saratoga High School
Mridhula M. Vudali, Saratoga High School
Lawson Wang, Saratoga High School
Eric Woo-Shem, Saratoga High School
Emily Wu, Saratoga High School
Lucas Z. Xu, Los Gatos High School
Ruiheng N. Yan, Los Gatos High School
Taewon T. Yim, Saratoga High School
Joanne Zhang, Saratoga High School
Lucy Zhang, Saratoga High School
Ruiyan Zhu, Saratoga High School

“This honor is a true reflection of the incredible dedication, hard work, and intellectual curiosity of our students,” shared Superintendent Heath Rocha. “We are so proud of their achievements, and grateful to our outstanding educators and supportive families who inspire and nurture their success.”

To advance to Finalist standing, Semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application that highlights their academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership, employment, and honors. They must also write an essay, earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performance, and receive a recommendation from a school official. Approximately 95 percent of Semifinalists are expected to achieve Finalist standing, and only half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship.

For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit www.nationalmerit.org.

About Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District
Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District is a thriving learning community that supports all students to develop the skills, passions, confidence, and resiliency to pursue college and/or career pathways. Home to Los Gatos High School, Saratoga High School, and an award-winning post-secondary program, our students are lifelong learners who demonstrate personal integrity, social responsibility, and positive physical and mental health. Members of the LGSUHSD community make meaningful, positive contributions to the world throughout their high school journey and beyond. 

Contact: Tanya De La Cruz, Public Information & Engagement Officer
E: tdelacruz@lgsuhsd.org  |  W: 408.402.6308  |  C: 669.322.6666