Eight White Plains High School seniors were named National Merit Scholarship finalists.
Photo credit: Sarina Trangle

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- After sifting through 1.5 million applicants, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation selected 15,000 finalists, including eight White Plains High School seniors, as prospective recipients of $36 million in scholarships.

The non-profit scholarship organization named the following local students as 2012 National Merit Scholarship finalists: Matthew Africano, Aneesh Bhattacharya, Emmett Caruso, Isabelle Daly, Adam Jaffe, Jens Sannerud, Eric Smiley and Benjamin Van Doren. 

Shaina Brady, Rong-Si Deng, Rachel Eddy, Jordan Brobe, Alyssa Habermann, Michael Lau, Khalilah Lushiku and William Tunney were selected as commended students for their academic success. 

The National Achievement Scholarship Program, which recognizes exceptional black high school students, selected White Plains' Khalilah Lushiku and Cheyenne Vlymen-Williams as finalists and named Ty Matsushita an outstanding participant. 

Matthew Africano, Selina Thompson, and Ana Velasquez were named National Hispanic Recognition Scholars. John Medelius received an honorable mention in that program.