2024 National Merit Semifinalists, Commended Scholars, Recognitions
Nineteen Vandegrift Vipers have been named as National Merit Semifinalists. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition to recognize students who demonstrate excellence in their academic endeavors. These students’ PSAT scores were in the top 1% in the state of Texas. They are now eligible to apply for the National Merit Scholarship. To do so, they must complete the National Merit application which includes the student’s academic record, information about the school’s curriculum and grading system, PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score, the high school counselors’s written recommendation, information about the student’s activities and leadership, and the Semifinalist’s own essay. National Merit Finalists are named in the spring of 2024.
| 2024 National Merit Semifinalists |
| Chau, Devon |
| Chau, Theodore |
| Fieleke, Blake |
| Gorti, Anjali |
| Gupta, Rahul |
| Hong, Cameron |
| Huang, Kevin |
| Judd, Haley |
| Li, Samuel |
| Luppino, Carter |
| McElmurry, Lucille |
| Mutter, Cole |
| Radloff, Paige |
| Ralian, Henry |
| Reynolds, Rachel |
| Tang, Rebecca |
| Xu, Amy |
| Zhang, Sophia |
| Garrett, Caitlin |
Thirty-nine Vipers received the Commended Achievement accolade in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended students are named based on a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year. Based on their academic excellence, these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
2024 National Merit Semifinalists Commended
| ADVAITH G SURESH |
| ALBERT Y QIAO |
| AMELIA K LO |
| ANDREW GORMAN |
| ANDREW SONG |
| ANKITA D RAJESH |
| ANTHONY T PHAN |
| ARNAB CHOWDHURY |
| AVARD FAIRBANKS |
| BENJAMIN FROLLO |
| BENNETT H YI |
| CATHERINE MARSHBURN |
| ELIANA FERNANDES |
| ELLA P SCOTT |
| HEMAVEMURI |
| ISAAC V SWOYER |
| JAMES BALENTINE |
| JAMES K PENVER |
| JASON KIM |
| JOHN M MCALINDEN |
| JOSHUA HARRIS |
| JULIANA HUANG |
| KAI LEDBETTER |
| KAITLIN BLACK |
| KATHERINE E WHITE |
| LARS P SPINETTA |
| LEYA BUSTAMI |
| MANAV KARONDE |
| MANU ELEDATH |
| MICHAEL DAHL |
| MICHAEL K WUSTRAU |
| MIHIR GUPTA |
| PEARL THAPAR |
| RESHAM E JANI |
| RYAN CHIN |
| SAMEEKSHAJAYAPRAKASH |
| SOPHIE YANG |
| TIMOTHY G O’CONNOR |
| XAVIER LEFFLER |
| XINYU CHEN |
Twenty-eight Vandegrift Vipers are recognized for outstanding academic performance through the National Recognition Program. The following academic accolades were created to increase educational opportunities for academically accomplished African-American, Hispanic and Indigenous students. The mission of the National Recognition Programs listed below is to honor high-achieving, underrepresented high school students and highlight their academic excellence. Students are encouraged to highlight this honor in their college applications for potential scholarships from their college or university of choice.
| National African American Recognition Award Andrew Oriti |
| Sebastian Brent |
National Hispanic Recognition Award Aaron Gutierrez |
| Aarushi Boppidi |
| Adriana Castillo-Estep |
| Austin Lewis |
| Ava Roman |
| Avard Fairbanks |
| Diego Sequera |
| Diego De La Vara |
| Elizabeth Spindler |
| Francisco Ardila |
| Galia Garcia Martinez |
| Gonzalo Suarez Garrido |
| Isabela Rotondaro |
| Joao Vitor Fayad |
| John Valenzuela |
| Jose Aleman |
| Joshua Gallarda |
| Lukas Vega |
| Natalia Flores |
| Natalie Dhar |
| Nicholas Perez |
| Nina Vasquez |
| Riley Arispe |
| Samantha Chee |
| National Indigenous AwardBritney Mccarley |
| Danica Lundgren |
| National African American Recognition Award Andrew Oriti |
| Sebastian Brent |
National Hispanic Recognition Award Aaron Gutierrez |
| Aarushi Boppidi |
| Adriana Castillo-Estep |
| Austin Lewis |
| Ava Roman |
| Avard Fairbanks |
| Diego Sequera |
| Diego De La Vara |
| Elizabeth Spindler |
| Francisco Ardila |
| Galia Garcia Martinez |
| Gonzalo Suarez Garrido |
| Isabela Rotondaro |
| Joao Vitor Fayad |
| John Valenzuela |
| Jose Aleman |
| Joshua Gallarda |
| Lukas Vega |
| Natalia Flores |
| Natalie Dhar |
| Nicholas Perez |
| Nina Vasquez |
| Riley Arispe |
| Samantha Chee |
| National Indigenous AwardBritney Mccarley |
| Danica Lundgren |