Three Highlands Students Are National Merit Scholarship Finalists

Craig Wagner, a National Merit Scholarship Finalist from Highlands last year. 

These 26 students from Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists who will continue in the competition for 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered in spring 2016.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

About 90 percent of semifinalists become finalists, and half of the finalists earn the Merit Scholar title. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2016 will be announced between April and July in 2016.

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists include:


• Conner High School: Morgan Edmonds

• Covington Catholic High School: Logan D. Boyle, Benjamin J. Darpel, Sean C. Fagin, Adam Flynn, Mitchell D. MacKnight, Peter Schaefer and Lucas R. Timmerman

• Covington Latin School: Michelle L. Bitter

• Dixie Heights High School: Cole Weirich

• Highlands High School: Gabrielle J. Farley, Mary P. Mearns and Daniel F. Peale

• Newport Central Catholic High School: Scott A. Barrett

• St. Henry District High School: Abigail C. Epplen and Christopher M. Hill

• Notre Dame Academy: Andrea L. Davis, Carly R. Gross, Kelsey E. Sucher and Lily Thaman