This post was created on 09/21/2021.

This year, Pasco County is home to seven National Merit Semifinalists from five high schools. The following seven students are among 16,000 high school seniors nationwide competing for ~7,500 college scholarships worth about $30 million:

J.W. Mitchell High School: Leonid Alexeyev and Jacob Bolton

Land O’Lakes High School: Sohan Malladi and Daniel J. Urbonas

Pasco High School: Kenneth P. Chew

Sunlake High School: Louis E. Cohen

Wiregrass Ranch High School: Eric T. Reichard

Scholarship selection weighs a student’s academic record, SAT or ACT scores, participation in school activities, community service, leadership, employment, awards, and other honors and distinctions. Students must also receive a recommendation from a high school official and write an essay.