Nine Friendswood High School students have been named semifinalists in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship competition.
         The list includes Grady A. Burge, Brandon Chao, Kaitlyn M. Gruener, Noah J. Kessler, Diana T. Kirov, Caitlin F. Laird, Emily A. Larson, Robert P. Roy and Matthew W. Trahan.
          The FHS students are part of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 56th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,400 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million that will be offered next spring.
          To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.
           About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing and approximately half of the finalists will win a national Merit Scholarship earning the Merit Scholar title.
           NMSC, a not for profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
           Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 450 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.