Ector County ISD has announced a record number of students who earned national recognition through the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Program, a total of 50 students with at least two from each of ECISD’s six high schools. More than 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), last fall.
Odessa High School’s Anika Gundlapalli earned distinction as a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist. She is 1 of about 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide, meaning she is in the top 1% of U.S. high school seniors. She now has the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,000 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.
Three students earned National Commended Scholar status, ranking them among the top 2.5% of the 1.3 million juniors who took the PSAT/NMSQT last fall. Those three students are Andrea Santiago Soto from Odessa Collegiate Academy, Sapna Yadalla from Permian High School, and Forrest Harlow from the STEM Academy. These students receive Letters of Commendation, and although Commended Students will not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some may be candidates for Special Scholarships offered by corporate sponsors.
By campus, here are the other ECISD students who earned national recognition:
STEM Academy Abigail Paredes, National Hispanic Recognition
OCTECHS
Anevaeh Barraza, Kevin Camacho, Lexxus Rodriguez and Marco Garay, National Hispanic Recognition; Sefenuoluwa Omotoye, National African American Recognition.
Odessa High School
Cecilia Tavarez, Christian Lujan, Elvis Delgado Ethan Calderon Izabella Hernandez Josephine Saucedo, National Hispanic Recogntion.
Permian High School
Aidan Gomez, Callan Warren Desiree Lopez Etneciy Soto Gilberto Ramirez Mario Gonzalez Martinlee Longoria Morgan Hinojos Nathan Reyes, National Hispanic Recognition.
New Tech Odessa
Adrian Rodriguez, Amya Garza, Avery Smith, Genesis Carbajal, Joel Ramos, Julio Pena, Luis Acosta Madeline Guebara Norma Nino, National Hispanic Recognition; Rohan Reed, National African American Recognition; Sophia Robles and Yarhey Gonzalez, National Hispanic Recognition.
Odessa Collegiate Academy
Alivia Melgoza, National Hispanic Recognition; Alpheaus Cann, National African American Recognition; Amarys Aranda, Anthony Villaloboz, Ash Quinones, Cesar Vazquez, Darianna Pando, Emily Ortiz, Gabriel Enriquez, National Hispanic Recognition; Geneva Cansler, National African American Recognition; Giselle Rodriguez, Jordan Venegas, Marcuez Ferrill, National Hispanic Recognition, National African American Recognition.
“Congratulations to these talented, hard-working students,” ECISD Superintendent Scott Muri said in a news release. “This level of achievement comes from focused effort to excel, and these recognitions are well-deserved. It is also the result of the exceptional work happening in our classrooms PreK through 12th grade. Congratulations, also, to the members of Team ECISD who have supported and challenged these students along their journey.”
The mission of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States, and its goals include promoting a wider and deeper respect for learning in general and for exceptionally talented individuals in particular.
