Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) have released the names of approximately 16,000 students nationwide who have been named Semifinalists in the 52nd Annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The Massapequa Public School District has announced that one of its students, Caitlin Irwin, has qualified as a Semifinalist in this prestigious program. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must advance to the Finalist level of the competition by fulfilling several stringent academic requirements.

About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will be selected as Merit Scholarship winners, earning the Merit Scholar title.

As a Semifinalist, Caitlin has the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $33 million, that will be offered next spring. Established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Program, NMSC is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance.

Scholarships awarded through the program are underwritten by NMSC's own funds and approximately 500 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC's goals of honoring the nation's scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

The NMSC also awards the title of "Commended Student," to those students who show exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) used for program entry. Five of Massapequa's Seniors have earned this distinction.