Six GGUSD Students are Named National Merit Semi-Finalists

• Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Six students from Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) were named semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program – a prestigious recognition earned by less than one percent of high school seniors nationwide. Approximately 200 Orange County students earned the distinction.

National Merit Semifinalists from GGUSD included Catherine Palm from Bolsa Grande High School; Kandice U. Nguyen and Uyen Nguyen from Garden Grove High School; Anne N. Do, Caden Guardino and Cayden Morris from Pacifica High School. 

“Congratulations to our hard-working and motivated students for earning this exceptional academic achievement, only earned by the nation’s top scholars,” said Board of Education President Bob Harden.

National Merit Semifinalists represent those students who scored highest on the PSAT from each state. Next, students will submit a scholarship application, endorsement from a high school official, essay, and SAT scores.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is designed to recognize students with extraordinary academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college courses. Semifinalists are eligible to compete for 7,250 scholarships worth an estimated $28 million.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a non-profit organization that provides scholarships funded in part by businesses, organizations, and higher education institutions with the goal of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions.

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