Canyons District’s Class of 2025 includes five of the nation’s top students.
Three Corner Canyon Chargers and two Hillcrest Huskies are among the 28 Utah students who were recently announced as National Merit Scholars. They are:
- Xiaocheng “Emily” Ai, Corner Canyon High
- William Harrison, Corner Canyon High
- Jason Piech, Corner Canyon High
- Alex Liu, Hillcrest High
- Anika Mukherjee, Hillcrest High
National Merit Scholars receive $2,500 to help pay for their college or university studies — but being named to the list is often the biggest reward for students and their families. The National Merit Scholar designation often leads to other scholarships and opportunities.
Winners in the scholarship competition are chosen after a rigorous competitive-application process. Seniors chosen for the prestigious designation are judged to have the strongest combination of academic achievement, leadership skills, and service-oriented endeavors. Information about each finalist is provided to the National Merit Scholarship Corp. for consideration.
This year, a whopping 26 students from Alta, Brighton, Corner Canyon, and Hillcrest high schools were among the 16,000 semifinalists for a National Merit Scholar award. The list was then winnowed to a list of finalists.
A panel of college admissions officers and high school representatives appraised the applications, which included each finalist’s academic record, college-entrance exam scores, and the school official’s written recommendation and characterization of the finalist. The student also was asked to write and submit an essay.
“Earning the designation as a National Merit Scholar doesn’t happen overnight. It comes after years of hard work and dedication. We applaud Canyons’ five scholarship winners for diligently approaching their studies and engaging fully in CSD’s rigorous academic programs,” said Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins. “Counting the Class of 2025, 16 graduating classes have been awarded diplomas from Canyons high schools since the District’s founding in 2009. Every step along the way, our teachers, counselors, principals, and parents have encouraged every class of seniors to dare boldly, dream big, and do great things in the world.”
