Ryan and Starr named McNair scholarship semifinalists

Cheney’s Shogo Starr and Medical Lake’s Jeremy Ryan are two of approximately 16,000 semifinalists for the 2016 Merit Scholarship.

The National Merit program recognizes students with high PSAT scores and a strong academic record. About 1.5 million high school juniors across the country this year will compete for 7,400 scholarships - a total of $32 million. Semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of American high school seniors.

About 15,000 students will advance to the finalist round in February.