IUSD is proud to announce the next round of National Merit Scholars. Eight students were named recipients of the prestigious $2,500 National Merit Scholarships, the highest number awarded to any school district in Orange County. This is the second of three rounds in the National Merit Scholarship Program to be awarded.
The National Merit $2,500 Scholarship is a one-time award given to top academic performers across the country. This year, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) selected winners from a highly competitive pool of more than 15,000 Finalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. Recipients were chosen based on their exceptional academic achievements, leadership qualities and potential for success in demanding college coursework.
These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who evaluated each finalist’s academic records, including course rigor and grades, 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test scores, leadership roles, extracurricular involvement, personal essays and letters of recommendation.
The majority of these $2,500 scholarships are funded by NMSC, with additional support from corporations, foundations, and individual donors through the President’s Fund. Awardees can apply their scholarships toward studies at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
IUSD $2,500 Merit Scholars
Marissa D. Huang, Woodbridge High School
Probable career field: Academia
National Merit $2500 Scholarship
Howard J. Jung, Northwood High School
Probable career field: Computer Science
National Merit $2500 Scholarship
Andrew J. Kao, Woodbridge High School
Probable career field: Computer Science
National Merit $2500 Scholarship
Lawrence B. Liu, University High School
Probable career field: Physics
National Merit $2500 Scholarship
Suhrith S. Muvvala, Portola High School
Probable career field: Medicine
National Merit $2500 Scholarship
Alina Samiullah, Portola High School
Probable career field: Psychology
National Merit $2500 Scholarship
Yangming Sun, Portola High School
Probable career field: Healthcare
National Merit $2500 Scholarship
Luca G. Valdevit, University High School
Probable career field: Materials Engineering
National Merit $2500 Scholarship