Meet Our National Merit® Semifinalist & Commended Students

Congratulations to Sarah Tressler '27, who has been named a Semifinalist in the prestigious 2027 National Merit® Scholarship Program competition, and to Garv Panwar '27 and Emma Wofford '27, who have been recognized as Commended Students. They are exceptional leaders inside and outside the classroom!

“The entire Central Catholic community is beyond proud of the academic success of these talented students. We are confident that they will all move on to amazing accomplishments and make the CCHS legacy even stronger.”

 

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National Merit® Semifinalist

• Sarah Tressler '27

Sarah is among approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

About the National Merit® Scholarship Program

Commended Students

• Garv Panwar '27
• Emma Wofford '27

They are among 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation who are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise.

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Meet our National Merit® Semifinalist

Sarah Tressler '27

About Sarah

• National Merit® Semifinalist
• Hometown: Andover
• Middle School: St. Simon Parish School (Los Altos, California)
• All-American, Girls Soccer
  • Click here to read All-American, On and Off the Field.
• Committed to Brown University

Activities

• Raider Soccer
• Raider Indoor Track & Field
• Raider Outdoor Track & Field
• National Honor Society, Officer: Secretary
• Student Council E-Board (Vice President of Senior Class)
• Concert Band
• Peer Leaders (E-Board)
• Student Ambassador
• Club Soccer
• MIAA Student Advisory Board
• Lifeguard/Swim Instructor at the YMCA

Why is CCHS Special?

"Central Catholic is special because it is a welcoming and supportive community that wants to see you succeed. We take a lot of pride in our sports, academics, and activities, and the people at Central showcase this spirit in everything they do."

Committed to Service

"Service work is very important to me, and I love giving back to my community."

"I have volunteered consistently with Lazarus House throughout my time at Central (food pantry, thrift store, after school daycare program helper), and I have also volunteered with programs including TOPSoccer, Special Olympics, and the after-school program at St. Mary’s."

"Another service experience that I have enjoyed is organizing the Back to School Food Drive for Lazarus House these past three years."

"A highlight of my community service at Central was going on the Blue Missions service trip to the Dominican Republic twice to bring clean water access and sanitation systems to two different communities in the Dominican Republic. This experience was an amazing opportunity to make an impact to those who need it most, and I am very grateful to have had the chance to go on this trip."

Read more about the BLUE Missions Service Trips:

• Build Love: BLUE Missions
• Love & Water: Living in the Moment.

Faculty & Staff Role Models

• Mrs. Laura O'Connor, World Language Faculty, NHS Advisor: "Maestra O'Connor has been a great teacher this year and has helped me improve my Spanish a lot already. I also work with her as a leader for NHS, and she always is very positive and supportive to me."
• Ms. Katelyn Andrade, English, Social Studies, Business & Technology Faculty, Coach: "As one of the soccer coaches, she has helped me in many ways throughout my time at Central and is always there if I need anything."
• Ms. Casey Grange '03, Assistant Director of Athletics, Coach: "I’m grateful for Coach Grange’s support as one of the soccer coaches and for her help in finding leadership opportunities such as the MIAA leadership board and being a mentor through the Imprescia Center."
• Ms. Jami Hayden, Girls Varsity Soccer Coach: "As the head soccer coach, Coach Hayden has helped me and the team achieve our goals of competing with top teams in the state, and she has always pushed me to be my best."

Raider Legacy

Sarah's sister Sophia Tressler '25 is also a Raider. She attends Brown University and competes on the gymnastics team.

The Future

Sarah is committed to Brown University for soccer.

Congratulations, Sarah!

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Meet Our Commended Students...

• Garv Panwar '27
• Emma Wofford '27

 

Garv Panwar '27

• National Merit® Commended Student
• Hometown: Dracut
• Middle School: Ste Jeanne d’Arc School (Lowell, MA)

Activities

• Raider Tennis, Team Captain
• Robotics Club, President
• DECA, Vice President
• Coding Club
• Student Ambassadors, Leadership Team
• National Honor Society

Outside CCHS

• Founder and CEO of a Productivity Software Startup (Arc)
• High School Drone Program Curriculum Designer at UMass Lowell SENSORS Group
• Cultural and Language Teacher at Shishu Bharati
• Technology Seminar Volunteer Teacher at the Dracut Council on Aging
• Virtual Tutor at LearnToBe and UPchieve
• Marketing & Growth Intern at Cookr
• Educational Technology R&D Intern at TeachShare
• Johns Hopkins University CTY & Harvard UVTSP

Why is CCHS Special?

"To me, Central Catholic is special because it gives you so much freedom to grow in any direction you'd like. Whether it be academically, athletically, spiritually, or something else, no one at Central ever tells you to "back down," everyone is very supportive of your goals and ambitions. As long as you truly want to do something and can put in work to achieve it, Central will never be a hindrance, they'll always be right by you cheering you on."

Committed to Service

"I love to serve in a way that allows me to spread the gift of knowledge. I truly stand by the belief that it is far better to teach one to fish than it is to simply hand them food, and I strive to live by that. To me, education and the work you can do from it is limitless, and teaching people something or even helping them to achieve something they couldn't before makes me feel as if I have opened up their futures to so many more possibilities. This is a principal I hope so live by in both my current service and my future ventures."

Faculty Role Models

"I would like to give special shout outs to Mr. Andrew Joyal, Mr. Welch, Mr. Sansoucie, and Mrs. Burns."

• Mr. Andrew Joyal '11, Business & Technology Faculty: "Mr. Joyal, through his work with me in robotics sessions as well as Computer Science classes, has given me the confidence to pursue technological ventures. He is truly passionate about his work, and it has definitely rubbed off on me."
• Mr. Joseph Welch '90, English Faculty: "Mr. Welch made me appreciate a subject (English) I had always seen as boring and monotonous. He taught me that English is so much more than words, it's how we convey ideas to one another and it's the basis for everything."
• Mr. Matthew Sansoucie '06, Mathematics, Business, & Technology Faculty, DECA Advisor: "Mr. Sansoucie, through his work with me in DECA, has always cheered me on in my entrepreneurial ventures and given me a space to flourish and do what I love best, build something meaningful."
• Ms. Jeanne Burns, Assistant Principal & Academic Dean: "Mrs. Burns has been a huge help in getting me where I am today. Through all of my bizarre course requests and sudden questions, she has always supported me throughout my academic journey and never once told me to back down from something I've wanted to do, always cheering me on.

The Future

"In the long run, I want to be an entrepreneur in the tech world and be able to build things that make a difference and can be used by everyone around me to improve their lives."

 

Emma Wofford '26

• National Merit® Commended Student
• Hometown: Haverhill
• Middle School: Sacred Hearts School, Bradford

CCHS Activities

• DECA
• Peer Leaders (E-Board)
• Sports Medicine Club
• National Honor Society, Officer: Co-President
• Best Buddies
• Raider Indoor Track & Field
• Raider Outdoor Track & Field
• Student Alumni Association, E-Board
• Student Ambassador, E-Board
• Club Track and Field

Why is CCHS Special?

"The community at Central is so unique. There is a club or activity for everyone, and teachers care about the growth of each student."

Committed to Service

"I’ve learned a lot from volunteering at the Sacred Hearts Parish Food Pantry."

"Through our DECA project last year, my friends and I were able to make hygiene care packages for the pantry."

"I also enjoy volunteering at Student Alumni Association events, like the Team Walk for Cancer Care."

Faculty Role Models

• Mr. Robert Benedetto '89, Science Faculty: "I’d like to give a big shoutout to Mr. Benedetto, for keeping class entertaining and teaching me how to think through problems."
• Mr. Cameron Hebert '17, Mathematics Faculty: "I’d also like to thank Mr. Hebert, for going out of his way to know each student and teaching me important lessons about both math and life."
• Mr. Joseph Welch '90 & Mr. Michael Clements '94, English Faculty: "Mr. Welch and Mr. Clements, for keeping English class engaging and teaching me so much about non-fiction and 'the world of make believe.'"
• Mr. Matthew Sansoucie '06, Mathematics, Business, & Technology Faculty, DECA Advisor: "I’d like to thank Mr. Sansoucie. He always takes the time to answer my questions and has taught me so much about economics and finance. He’s also a great DECA moderator!"

Raider Legacy

Emma's sister, Grace Wofford '25, was Salutatorian of her class and attends the University of Notre Dame.

The Future

"I plan to attend college, possibly majoring in mechanical or biomedical engineering."

 

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About the National Merit® Scholarship Program

Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) have announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million that will be offered next spring.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by about 260 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

Steps in the 2027 Competition

Over 1.2 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

National Merit Scholarships

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2027. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 700 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 120 corporations and business organizations for 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 140 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,500 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2027 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join over 395,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

About the 'Commended Students' Program

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2027 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2027 competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). The program is offered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation – a not-for-profit organization that recognizes academically talented high school students.

Congratulations to Sarah, Gary, and Emma!