Their hard work has paid off. Thirteen Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) students have reached a new milestone after the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) recognized them.
The students–12 from La Cueva High School and one from Early College Academy, earned recognition as 2026 National Merit Finalists. It is one of the nation’s most prestigious academic honors. The designation distinguishes high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, strong test performance, and a commitment to excellence both inside and outside the classroom.
NMSC selects finalists from more than 16,000 semifinalists nationwide, representing the top 1% of graduating seniors in the United States. These students will now compete for thousands of scholarships to be awarded this spring.
Below is the list of the district’s finalists, according to APS:
From La Cueva High School
Hiro Jau
Ally Jones
Pranav Joshi
Joseph Kerlinsky
Yu Liu
Nathan Lupinetti
Ayla McFall
Reyhan Rahim
Rubaina Reza
Anna Richardson
Aubrey Stuart
Giles Yarrington
From Early College Academy
Galen Yane
Students completed a rigorous application process to become finalists. They demonstrated strong academic records, earned high SAT or ACT scores, wrote an essay, and secured a recommendation from a school official.
According to APS, this recognition reflects not only the students’ dedication and hard work. This also shows the support of their families, teachers and school communities.
What Scholarships Will They Compete For?
The program will offer three types of National Merit Scholarships in the spring of 2026.
Every finalist will vie for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships, awarded based on a state representation. Approximately 150 corporations and business organizations will provide about 830 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards. These scholarships go to finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
The 2026 National Merit Scholarship winners will appear in four nationwide news releases starting April and ending in July. These scholarship recipients will join approximately 389,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.