McKinney, Texas - At the October 20, 2025, meeting of the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees, the board and district officials recognized the impressive academic achievements of more than 300 MISD juniors and seniors who have earned honors as National Merit Semifinalists, National Merit Commended Students or recipients of College Board’s National Recognition Program Awards.
National Merit Semifinalists
In September, officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Among the honorees were two students from McKinney Boyd High School, two from McKinney High School and one from McKinney North High School.
National Merit Semifinalists make up fewer than 1 percent of the 1.3 million juniors who entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) in 2024, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.
McKinney ISD National Merit Semifinalists at the October 20, 2025, meeting of the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees held at the McKinney ISD Community Event Center.
McKinney Boyd High School National Merit Semifinalists
Karen Shi - National Merit Semifinalist
Cole Wakefield - National Merit Semifinalist
McKinney High School National Merit Semifinalists
Saylor Baker - National Merit Semifinalist
Samantha Sneller - National Merit Semifinalist
McKinney North High School National Merit Semifinalist
Shreya Chougule - National Merit Semifinalist
National Merit Commended Students
About two-thirds (about 34,000) of the high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT were designated Commended Students. In recognition of their outstanding ability and potential for academic success in college, NMSC honored these students by sending Letters of Commendation. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some may be candidates for Special Scholarships offered by corporate sponsors.
Ten students from McKinney Boyd High School, six from McKinney High School and three from McKinney North High School earned honors as National Merit Commended Students.
McKinney ISD National Merit Commended Students at the October 20, 2025, meeting of the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees held at the McKinney ISD Community Event Center..
McKinney Boyd High School National Merit Commended Students
James Colburn - National Merit Commended Student
Genevieve De Gaalon - National Merit Commended Student
Addysen Dillard - National Merit Commended Student
Joseph Lee - National Merit Commended Student
Joshua Lee - National Merit Commended Student
Robert Toala McAllister-Ou - National Merit Commended Student
Caleb McCoulskey - National Merit Commended Student
Oliver Miller - National Merit Commended Student
Chelsea Song - National Merit Commended Student
Akhil Vanga - National Merit Commended Student
McKinney High School National Merit Commended Students
Zalana Aguillard - National Merit Commended Student
Jordan Conway - National Merit Commended Student
Taro Higuchi - National Merit Commended Student
Leighton Nichols - National Merit Commended Student
Daniel Nwaekwe- National Merit Commended Student
Leo Ziman- National Merit Commended Student
McKinney North High School National Merit Commended Students
Arnav Bakayat - National Merit Commended Student
Cayden Rios - National Merit Commended Student
Sophie Yu - National Merit Commended Student
College Board National Recognition Program Awards
The College Board’s National Recognition Program honors high-achieving students from all backgrounds and provides them with a meaningful way to stand out in the college admissions process. By earning a National Recognition Program School Recognition Award or First Generation Award, students can celebrate their academic accomplishments and gain recognition within their communities. The program also serves as a valuable resource for colleges and universities, helping them identify and connect with top talent from across the country during recruitment and admissions.
Award recipients must be strong academic performers. Students who take eligible administrations of the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams and meet the score requirements are considered for awards. Among the criteria, honorees must be in the top 10 percent among PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT test takers in 11th grade in their state for their award program or have received a 3+ score on at least 2 distinct AP Exams by the end of 10th grade.
Two-hundred ninety-nine MISD students earned College Board recognition.
McKinney Boyd High School National Recognition Program Award Recipients
McKinney Boyd High School College Board National Recognition Program Award recipients at the October 20, 2025, meeting of the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees held at the McKinney ISD Community Event Center.
Eshan Ahmed – School Recognition Award
Jonah Ampil – School Recognition Award
Reese Anderson – School Recognition Award
Caleb Austin – School Recognition Award
Sawyer Barstad – School Recognition Award
Aubrey Bartholomew – School Recognition Award
Jenna Bennett – School Recognition Award
Kayleigh Berryman – School Recognition Award
Daniel Betancourt – School Recognition Award
Ryan Bretado – First-Generation Recognition Award
Brianna Brockman – School Recognition Award
Christian Caballero – School Recognition Award
Sarah Cabanit – School Recognition Award
Stephanie Castillo – First-Generation Recognition Award, School Recognition Award
James Colburn – School Recognition Award
Quinn Corich – School Recognition Award
Juan Cortes – School Recognition Award
Genevieve De Gaalon – School Recognition Award
Addysen Dillard – First-Generation Recognition Award, School Recognition Award
Peyton Dokthonghom – School Recognition Award
Mason Donahey – School Recognition Award
Regan Dorsett – School Recognition Award
Rylie Douat – School Recognition Award
Emily Eckenrode – School Recognition Award
Alexa Elgersma – First-Generation Recognition Award
Jay Ezell – School Recognition Award
Quinn Fair – School Recognition Award
Paulina Fernandez – School Recognition Award
Zakaria Filty – School Recognition Award
Ian Fu – School Recognition Award
Lucia Gabbert – School Recognition Award
Andrew Giller – School Recognition Award
Caroline Gilliam – School Recognition Award
Addison Givens – School Recognition Award
Arush Gopalakrishnan – School Recognition Award
Cole Hammerle – School Recognition Award
Georgia Hanson – School Recognition Award
Sophia Hercik – School Recognition Award
Joseph Horton – School Recognition Award
Elyse Huang – School Recognition Award
Hebbah Hussain – School Recognition Award
Ava Hutchison – School Recognition Award
Het Jasani – School Recognition Award
Kennedy Johns – School Recognition Award
Nyla Johnson – School Recognition Award
Shiraz Khan – School Recognition Award
Madelyn Kwan – School Recognition Award
Isaac Lafuente – School Recognition Award
Ethan Larriva – School Recognition Award
Joseph Lee – First-Generation Recognition Award, School Recognition Award
Joshua Lee – First-Generation Recognition Award, School Recognition Award
Steve Lee – School Recognition Award
Alessandro Mariosa – School Recognition Award
Sydney Martin – School Recognition Award
Jacob Matlock – School Recognition Award
Robert McAllister-Ou – School Recognition Award
Clare McCall – School Recognition Award
Caleb McCoulskey – School Recognition Award
Anoushka Menon – School Recognition Award
Bodhi Miller-Sholl – School Recognition Award
Allysen Miller – School Recognition Award
Oliver Miller – School Recognition Award
Marley Mitchell – First-Generation Recognition Award, School Recognition Award
Omar Mohammed – School Recognition Award
Riley Muehleisen – School Recognition Award
Benjamin Munin – School Recognition Award
Andrew Na – School Recognition Award
Daniel Nance – School Recognition Award
Kaitlyn Nave – School Recognition Award
Cambria Nyland – School Recognition Award
Ruben Ocampo – First-Generation Recognition Award
Noor Ouldaissa – School Recognition Award
Brennan Pacheco – School Recognition Award
Archit Pansare – School Recognition Award
Johnathan Podor – School Recognition Award
Armando Pomaro – School Recognition Award
Sarah Quevedo – School Recognition Award
Riya Raj – School Recognition Award
Nisith Rajapakshe Gamage – School Recognition Award
Nathan Roberts – School Recognition Award
Eric Sanchez Lopez – School Recognition Award
Audrey Sather – School Recognition Award
Sola Selmon – School Recognition Award
Liam Sharkey – School Recognition Award
Connor Sherwood – School Recognition Award
Ayah Siddiqui – School Recognition Award
Tutku Sipahi – School Recognition Award
Shyla Smith – First-Generation Recognition Award
Chelsea Song – School Recognition Award
London Stephens – School Recognition Award
James Swanson – School Recognition Award
Jason Tabang – School Recognition Award
Emma Troutt – School Recognition Award
Annie Truong – First-Generation Recognition Award, School Recognition Award
Ophir Tuval – School Recognition Award
Chace Underwood – School Recognition Award
Akhil Vanga – School Recognition Award
Samuel Vock – School Recognition Award
Cole Wakefield – School Recognition Award
Brooklyn Webb – School Recognition Award
Hailey Weintraub – School Recognition Award
Brylee Weisz – School Recognition Award
Calista Williams – School Recognition Award
Gwendolyn Williams – School Recognition Award
James Williams – School Recognition Award
Kyler Wolfe – School Recognition Award
Tyler Younker – School Recognition Award
McKinney High School National Recognition Program Award Recipients
McKinney High School College Board National Recognition Program Award recipients at the October 20, 2025, meeting of the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees held at the McKinney ISD Community Event Center.
Jesus Martinez-Garcia – First-Generation Recognition Award
Caleb Starnes – School Recognition Award
Johnathan Stoddard – School Recognition Award
Angeline Bryner – School Recognition Award
Miles Dai – School Recognition Award
Carson Holland – School Recognition Award
Adelle Van Allen – School Recognition Award
Allison Nguyen – School Recognition Award
Ava Leiker – School Recognition Award
Jackson Hare – School Recognition Award
Zalana Aguillard – School Recognition Award
Megan Machuca – School Recognition Award
Anson Chen – School Recognition Award
Ernesto Tovar – School Recognition Award
Garret Vu – School Recognition Award
Lawand Mohammed – School Recognition Award
Jesus Martinez-Garcia – School Recognition Award
Felicity Chambers – School Recognition Award
John Allen – School Recognition Award
Annalise Kleineberg – School Recognition Award
Joseph Lee – First-Generation Recognition Award
Erhan Hadeer – School Recognition Award
Cadence Cain – School Recognition Award
Capri Boysen – School Recognition Award
Julian Sumner – School Recognition Award
Emma Engle – School Recognition Award
Yee Mat Zhou – School Recognition Award
Hailey Garms – School Recognition Award
Isaac Sowards – First-Generation Recognition Award
Charles Skidmore – School Recognition Award
Connor Phipps – School Recognition Award
Jakob Kowaleski – School Recognition Award
Leo Ziman – School Recognition Award
Yee Lam Zhou – School Recognition Award
Diana Asencio Samayoa – School Recognition Award
Chloe Cole – School Recognition Award
Madelyn Nelson – School Recognition Award
Ghazal Adel – First-Generation Recognition Award
Samantha Sneller – School Recognition Award
Zachary Neverdousky – School Recognition Award
Ghazal Adel – School Recognition Award
James Houston – First-Generation Recognition Award
Sophia Quintero Pietri – First-Generation Recognition Award
Joseph Lee – School Recognition Award
Callie Green – School Recognition Award
Daniel Nwaekwe – School Recognition Award
James Houston – School Recognition Award
Lincoln Blake – School Recognition Award
Brooke Barragan – School Recognition Award
Benjamin Bokmeyer – School Recognition Award
Andrew Indrea – School Recognition Award
Tiarra Banda – School Recognition Award
Anthony Rios – School Recognition Award
Bailey Albuquerque – School Recognition Award
John Baker – School Recognition Award
Taro Higuchi – School Recognition Award
Madison Jones – School Recognition Award
Gena Pasillas Lopez – First-Generation Recognition Award
Christian Martinez – School Recognition Award
Josh Dominic Monsanto –First-Generation Recognition Award
Brea Christensen – School Recognition Award
Taylor Lefort – School Recognition Award
Madalyn Law – School Recognition Award
Nathaniel Vandagriff – School Recognition Award
Robert Vigil – School Recognition Award
Akshara Mandhapati – School Recognition Award
Saylor Baker – School Recognition Award
Mallory Reynolds – First-Generation Recognition Award
Brett Blain – First-Generation Recognition Award
Zalana Aguillard – First-Generation Recognition Award
Jordan Conway – School Recognition Award
Sophie Phillips – School Recognition Award
Danyar Anwer – School Recognition Award
Caylin Butler – School Recognition Award
Drew Dossett – School Recognition Award
John McDow – School Recognition Award
Jakob Kowaleski – First-Generation Recognition Award
Mallory Reynolds – School Recognition Award
Rayden Yu – School Recognition Award
Danielle Howard – School Recognition Award
Shane Holland – School Recognition Award
Addison Tillson – School Recognition Award
Dominick Pesano – School Recognition Award
Jonathan Lebel – School Recognition Award
Robert Vigil – First-Generation Recognition Award
Audrey Tremble – School Recognition Award
Allie Heuvel – School Recognition Award
Anna Li – School Recognition Award
Alexander Stout – School Recognition Award
Emily Littrell – School Recognition Award
Carolyn Idzi – School Recognition Award
Abbigail Tillson – School Recognition Award
Christian Martinez – First-Generation Recognition Award
Isaac Sowards – School Recognition Award
Diana Rangel – School Recognition Award
Annam Tran – School Recognition Award
Sophia Quintero Pietri – School Recognition Award
Rebecca Duenas – School Recognition Award
Henry Chute – School Recognition Award
Lucas Phillips – School Recognition Award
Ashton Hernandez – School Recognition Award
Trang Nguyen – School Recognition Award
Cadence Cain – First-Generation Recognition Award
Spencer Milla – School Recognition Award
Alexandria Hargraves – School Recognition Award
Kaden Langton – School Recognition Award
Valentina Falanga – School Recognition Award
Brinlee Kristufek – School Recognition Award
Angel Martinez – First-Generation Recognition Award
Diana Asencio Samayoa – First-Generation Recognition Award
Kinsey Molina – School Recognition Award
Brett Blain – School Recognition Award
Brady Hargraves – School Recognition Award
McKinney North High School National Recognition Program Award Recipients
McKinney North High School College Board National Recognition Program Award recipients at the October 20, 2025, meeting of the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees held at the McKinney ISD Community Event Center.
Christopher Fleites Rodriguez – School Recognition Award
Abedalah Barakat – School Recognition Award
Tessa Almagro – School Recognition Award
Christian Ndubai – School Recognition Award
Dylan Hernandez – First-Generation Recognition Award, School Recognition Award
Zahirah Pierrelouis – First-Generation Recognition Award
Eric Anaya – School Recognition Award
Sriram Srinivasan – School Recognition Award
Amr Hassan – School Recognition Award
Ellery Langsdale – School Recognition Award
Yashwanth Kamavarapu – School Recognition Award
Adrian Esparza – School Recognition Award
Daniel Hyun – School Recognition Award
Aarushi Gunavante – School Recognition Award
Ashton Sandoval – School Recognition Award
Hazel Morrow – School Recognition Award
Calvin Lincecum – First-Generation Recognition Award
Arnav Bakayat – School Recognition Award
Aakash Vishnuvarth – School Recognition Award
Hazel Morrow – First-Generation Recognition Award
Khanh Tran – First-Generation Recognition Award
Sophie Yu – School Recognition Award
Mackenzie Nguyen – School Recognition Award
Khanh Tran – School Recognition Award
Trissa Pham – First-Generation Recognition Award
Calvin Lincecum – School Recognition Award
Brynn Everett – School Recognition Award
Jonathan Ullrich – School Recognition Award
Jacob Oh – School Recognition Award
Abigail Self – School Recognition Award
Sonakshi Das – School Recognition Award
Habiba Burhani – School Recognition Award
Miraa Shree Prathap – School Recognition Award
Rafaela Zentner – School Recognition Award
Jaelynn Jewtuch – School Recognition Award
Claire Green – School Recognition Award
Maya Sedeora – School Recognition Award
Ifeoluwa Osundina – School Recognition Award
Priyal Katudia – School Recognition Award
Adrian Salas – School Recognition Award
Mauricio Kopanak – School Recognition Award
Abedalah Barakat – First-Generation Recognition Award
Addison Sheeran – School Recognition Award
Cayden Rios – First-Generation Recognition Award
Siddharth Katam Reddy – School Recognition Award
Tyler Musho – School Recognition Award
Kinsley Duncan – School Recognition Award
Gage Edwards – School Recognition Award
Jordan Babin – School Recognition Award
Krystyna Piatek – School Recognition Award
Campbell Thurow – School Recognition Award
Ethan Cheng – School Recognition Award
Hafsa Popal – School Recognition Award
Sienna Bayley – School Recognition Award
Jimmy Yeung – First-Generation Recognition Award
Aawash Neupane – School Recognition Award
Zeynep Sari – School Recognition Award
Avanija Dronadula – School Recognition Award
Luke Kuethe – School Recognition Award
Nellie Romanchenko – School Recognition Award
Elijah Diaz – School Recognition Award
Lee Adame – First-Generation Recognition Award
Sahaar Khan – School Recognition Award
Connor Cox – School Recognition Award
Allison Cardenas – School Recognition Award
Trisha Sharma – School Recognition Award
Sebastian Infante – School Recognition Award
Shreya Chougule – School Recognition Award
Sanjana Vakkalaganti Hemanath – School Recognition Award
Gagankumar Karnam Vajravelu – School Recognition Award
Lillie Bogue – School Recognition Award
Everly Ahrens – School Recognition Award
Owen Au-Yeung – School Recognition Award
Jaime Rodriguez – First-Generation Recognition Award
Blake Good – School Recognition Award
Austin Flores – First-Generation Recognition Award, School Recognition Award
Sara Hinckley – School Recognition Award
Cayden Rios – School Recognition Award
Rachel Edwards – School Recognition Award
Elizabeth Maszy – School Recognition Award
Marissa Ling – School Recognition Award