For 2025, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced 11 exemplary students from Nevada’s Indian sub-continent community out of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 70^th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. 

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

All the Semifinalists below have an outstanding academic record throughout high school and are endorsed and recommended by a high school official. As part of the competition, the Semifinalists wrote an essay and earned SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. These exemplary students have regularly participated in school and community activities, earned numerous honors and awards, and have demonstrated leadership abilities during their academic program at the local high schools.

2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists are

• Aadi Patwa – The Davidson Academy, Reno
• Amir Khan – Coral Academy of Science, Las Vegas
• Arnav Akhaury – The Davidson Academy, Reno
• Asha Talim – West Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas
• Jaidev Commuri – Procter R. Hug High School, Sparks
• Milaan Shah – Coral Academy of Science, Reno
• Nikash Garg – Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas
• Nina Pomerantz – Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas
• Rehan Pervaiz – Coral Academy of Science, Las Vegas
• Rishi Kamojjala – Ed. W. Clark High School, Las Vegas
• Tanisha Parashar – The Davidson Academy, Reno

From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February, they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, regardless of gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. These scholarship recipients will join more than 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.