RHS National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Students Receive Rye Recognition of Excellence Awards

RHS National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Students with their Rye Recognition of Excellence Awards

The 6 Rye High School seniors who were named Semifinalists and 13 who are Commended Students in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program received Rye Recognition of Excellence awards at the October 28 Board of Education Meeting. The students earned National Merit designations by scoring well on the PSAT taken during their junior year. National Merit Semifinalists place among the top 1% of the 1.3 million students who entered the National Merit competition, and Commended Students placed among the top 2.6%. The Rye Recognition of Excellence Awards recognize students who have achieved great things in the arenas of academics, arts, and athletics. 

Superintendent Dr. Tricia Murray said, “Our warmest congratulations to the students. Their success is reflective of a great deal of hard work and dedication, not only by the students themselves, but by their parents, their teachers, and the School District community at large.”

RHS’s six National Merit Semifinalists are:

Lana Andikiyan, Pedro Becker, Ryan Crozier, Jackson Page, Reid Thigpen, and Grace Wang

RHS’s 13 National Merit Commended students are: 

Tara Browne, Claire Curran, Harry Ellis, Brendan Fisher, Wilson Fitz, Alessia MacKinnon, Shun Nagata, Kathryn Schatz, Aarav Shah, David Singer, Gabriela Steinmetz, Michael Talbott, and Amelia Whelan

National Merit Commended Students at the October 28 BOE Meeting. Left to right: David Singer, Kathryn Schatz, Gabriela Steinmetz, Tara Browne, Aarav Shah, Harry Ellis, Wilson Fitz, Alessia MacKinnon, Amelia Whelan, Claire Curran, Shun Nagata

Not pictured: Brendan Fisher, Michael Talbott

National Merit Semifinalists: Left to right: Pedro Becker, Ryan Crozier, Jackson Page, Reid Thigpen, Lana Andikiyan, Grace Wang