Redmond, Wash. – The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced today that eight Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students will receive National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Fifty students were selected statewide for these awards. 

The students receiving National Merit $2500 Scholarships are:

• Qing Yang Sun (Kirkland), Juanita High School
• Akshita Kikkuru (Redmond), Redmond High School
• Keerthana Kurapati (Redmond), Redmond High School
• Siddhant Porwal (Redmond), Nikola Tesla STEM High School
• Akshita Amarnath (Sammamish), Eastlake High School
• Elizabeth A. Fein (Sammamish), Eastlake High School
• Tanvi Kale (Sammamish), Eastlake High School
• William T. Sugden (Woodinville), Redmond High School

These students are eight of the 2,500 distinguished high school seniors nationwide to win this scholarship. They were selected from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. 

National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors. They select students based on their academic record including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist and a recommendation written by a high school official. These scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

###

About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is a high-performing, fast-growing public school district serving Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington. It is the second largest district in the state of Washington, with over 30,000 students in 57 schools.