RYE, NY (Feb. 24, 2026) — Six Rye High School students have advanced from National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists to National Merit Finalists, the Rye City School District announced.
The students are Svetlana (Lana) Andikyan, Pedro Becker, Ryan Crozier, Jackson Page, Reid Thigpen and Grace Wang.
The students initially earned recognition based on their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT taken during their junior year. Of the more than 1.3 million students nationwide who took the exam, approximately 16,000 were named semifinalists.
Finalist standing places the students among the nation’s highest-achieving scholars as they continue in the competition for approximately 6,930 scholarships worth nearly $26 million.
RHS Principal Andrew Hara said, “We are extremely proud of the six students who have earned this distinction this year. This is an incredible accomplishment that reflects their hard work, talent, and dedication.”
The district congratulated the students on what it described as a well-deserved recognition.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.