Staff Report

ROCKFORD — Auburn High School Gifted Academy seniors Alexander Ferry and Puranjay Gupta are semifinalists for the 2022 National Merit Scholarship award.

Ferry and Gupta are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists across the country announced this month in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship program.

About 95 percent of semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing. Approximately half of finalists will win a scholarship.

National Merit Scholarships honor the nation’s scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence. Winners are selected for their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

The 2022 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. Recipients will join more than 362,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.