WPHS students Cristina Damato and Nizar Hammami named National Merit Semifinalists
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White Plains High School seniors Cristina Damato and Nizar Hammami have been named Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing them among fewer than 1% of U.S. high school seniors to earn the distinction.
More than 1.2 million students from about 20,000 high schools entered the 72nd annual competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). More than 16,000 were selected as Semifinalists nationwide.
Cristina, whose school counselor is Yanell Andujar, and Nizar, whose counselor is Emily Falber, now have the opportunity to advance to Finalist standing and compete for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million that will be awarded next spring.
About 95 percent of Semifinalists are expected to become Finalists, and approximately half of the Finalists will receive a National Merit Scholarship.
“We are #WPProud of Nizar and Cristina. Their commitment to academic excellence is evident, and this recognition is a wonderful reflection of their many years of hard work and dedication,” WPHS Principal Emerly Martinez said. “We congratulate them on being named National Merit Semifinalists and look forward to seeing all that they will continue to accomplish.”
To advance, Semifinalists must submit a detailed application that includes their academic record, school and community activities, leadership experience and honors. They also must have an outstanding academic record, receive a recommendation from a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performance on the qualifying test.
