Anderson’s selection is a testament to his outstanding academic accomplishments, leadership qualities, and dedication to excellence

The Ridgefield School District recently announced that Ridgefield High School senior Asher Anderson has been selected as a recipient of a corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship award. Anderson’s selection is a testament to his outstanding academic accomplishments, leadership qualities, and dedication to excellence. 

“This achievement is a force of enablement for me,” Anderson said. “Not only will the monetary reward help me pay for college, but I believe the title of National Merit Scholar which I will carry forever will benefit me in numerous ways in the future that I do not yet know. I also hold true that the title will motivate me to continue to keep and surpass my own personal academic goals and standards. It already feels like a great blessing, and the entire impact and importance of the award hasn’t even hit me yet!”

Anderson and his family moved from Connecticut to Ridgefield when he was in third grade. He is a member of the high school’s highly successful Knowledge Bowl team, serving as the Varsity II Team Captain, and is the vice president of the school’s Robotics club. 

Approximately 770 distinguished high school seniors won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 94 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations. Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors.

“I said it months ago when Asher was named as a finalist, but it bears repeating: in my 14 years in an educational leadership position, this is only the second time I’ve been able to present an award like this,” said Christen Palmer, Ridgefield High School principal. “Even being named a semi-finalist or a finalist is a tremendous honor. But to continue through such a rigorous, selective process to earn the title of Merit Scholar is a lifetime achievement that Asher and his family can wear with pride. All of us here at Ridgefield High School are so proud of Asher and all of the dedication and commitment he put into his studies. We can’t wait to see what Asher accomplishes next!”

Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage. Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice. 

Funding for these National Merit Scholarships is provided by corporate organizations that represent nearly all sectors of American industry. Sponsors from the business community have underwritten awards offered in each year’s competitions (this is the 69th year of the National Merit Scholar program), expending or committing more than $870 million to support the intellectual development of the nation’s scholastically talented youth. 

In September 2023, more than 16,000 Semifinalists were designated on a state-representational basis in numbers proportional to each state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the nation’s seniors.

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists had to fulfill requirements to advance to finalist standing. Each semifinalist was asked to complete a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance.

By the conclusion of the 2024 competition, more than 6,870 finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling nearly $26 million. Winners are the finalist candidates judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. 

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of National Merit Scholarships offered each year are underwritten by some 320 independent corporate and college sponsors that support NMSC’s efforts to honor the nation’s scholastically talented youth and encourage academic excellence at all levels of education.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. As a scholarship recipient, Anderson joins nearly 375,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the title of Merit Scholar.

Information provided by the Ridgefield School District.