Commended students in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program
Published 1:30 am Friday, November 7, 2025
Submitted by the San Juan Island School District
Friday Harbor High School principal Andrea Hillman announced that Grayson Matthews and Matthew Van Dyck have been named Commended Students in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. The principal presented these scholastically talented seniors with a letter of Commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program.
About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2026 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2026 competition by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).
“Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”
