The Bush School Celebrates Thirteen National Merit Scholars

In October of 2025, current Bush Class of 2027 students took the Preliminary SAT (PSAT), a standardized test meant to prepare students for future college readiness tests such as the SAT and ACT. While over 1.2 million students take the PSAT annually, only four percent of those students receive National Merit Recognition and are honored as Commended Scholars or Semifinalists.

Out of the four percent of students annually who receive National Merit Recognition, one percent qualify as National Merit Semifinalists and five of those students are Bush seniors! Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding achievement in being recognized as National Merit Semifinalists: Ben F. ’27, Kate O. ’27, Nikhil S. ’27, Samuel C. ’27, and Samuel W. ’27. 

 

Ben F. ’27 is both a Senior Class Officer and the Editor-in-Chief of the student-led newspaper, The Rambler at Bush. He also co-leads multiple clubs: the Ethics Bowl, TeenFeed, Oy Vey (Jewish affinity group), and Model United Nations (MUN). 

“This award validates the work I’ve put into my education. I’ve gotten a lot of really cool opportunities at Bush outside of the classroom that have validated a lot of my experiences, but this award is so closely connected to what I’ve done inside of the classroom that it shows that I am able to excel academically. Bush set me up for this, not just through academic skills, but through study and time management skills. I’d like to thank my mom because she’s who sealed my motivation for academic success at a young age and, of course, she is the reason I got this award.” 

Kate O. ’27 is the cofounder and coleader of Bush’s Banned Books Club, and she helped transition the hosting of “MisinfoDay” from UW’s campus to local independent schools, like Bush. She is also active in MUN, the Math Club, the Writing Center, Peer Notes, and serves as a Community Engagement Center Coach. 

“It was gratifying to become a National Merit Semifinalist, as it represents the work I've put into my academics, and motivates me to continue pushing myself for future opportunities. Bush really pushed me to improve my critical thinking and literary analysis skills, which were certainly helpful as I completed the reading and writing section of the test. I want to thank my parents, teachers, and friends for being supportive.” 

Nikhil S. ’27 helps in Bush’s STEM Center, and has played golf at Bush since his sophomore year. He cofounded the Economics and Investments Club at the end of his junior year, where he aims to bring expert speakers in and even open an investment fund. 

“This award makes me feel more confident in my abilities, both that I have what it takes to reach my goals, and that I can set more challenging goals for myself. I want to thank my parents for helping me push myself. I thank all the teachers for educating me really well. I also want to thank my Upper School English teacher, Jasminé Smith specifically, because she helped me so much with English and writing. Her assistance helped me start thinking like a writer. The teachers of The Bush School create really engaging classes where I love learning.” 

Samuel C. ’27, who co-founded and co-leads Bush’s Banned Books Club alongside Kate O. ’27, is the vice president of Upper School MUN, and mentors the Middle School MUN team. He is a Mandarin Language Center coach, leads in the Community Engagement Center, and writes and copyedits for The Rambler. 

“This award gives me more confidence in my academic abilities as I prepare for college, and it gives me a reason to pause and feel proud of what I’ve accomplished, especially during a busy senior year when I’m often focused on what I need to do next. Bush’s curriculum has encouraged me to understand the reasoning behind an answer and explain how I arrived at it. I would like to thank my parents for always believing in me and pushing me to strive for excellence. I would also like to thank my teachers for their kindness and support on my academic journey.” 

Samuel W. ’27 works in the STEM Center, welcomes prospective students as a member of Bush’s Admission Ambassador program, and is a part of Bush’s Broken Records club. 

“I am happy that I have the opportunity to do things well and learn at Bush, and this award is a representation of that. Taking the Educational Records Bureau tests in Middle School made me confident in my standardized testing ability. I want to specifically attribute my English score to my love of reading in Lower School, which was encouraged by my teachers at Bush and is responsible for my vocabulary and grammar sense. Thank you to my friends, who support me when I am overly critical of myself.” 

Only the top four percent of test takers are deemed Commended Scholars, and Bush is proud to have eight students who achieved this recognition. Congratulations to Emilie R. ’27,  James D. ’27, Karitas J. ’27, Nicole C. ’27, Rhys G. ’27, Sam G. ’27, Timur M. ’27, and Zachary T. ’27, who were all recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars.

Emilie R. ’27 is president of Amnesty International at Bush, president and founder of the Gardening Club, works as a Bush Ambassador, helps with the STEM Center, and is a member of the Blazer Blueprint, a cross-divisional peer-mentoring program. 

“It is nice to be recognized for my hard work academically. My incredible teachers have facilitated hands-on and experience-based learning that has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of all the subjects I’ve studied at Bush, which I am grateful for. I would like to thank my family for their unwavering support, my incredible teachers for allowing me to grow into the learner I am today, and my friends who are always willing to explain difficult concepts and support me no matter what!”

James D. ’27 is a member of Bush’s MUN Club, Astronomy Club, Gardening Club, Banned Books Club, and writes for The Rambler. 

“Four years ago, I had a completely different mindset towards school and learning in general. This award certainly feels like a marker of how far I’ve come, both academically and in terms of how I approach learning. In my opinion, the difficulty of the PSAT or SAT comes from how the test is paced, and how questions try to slow you down. Bush has certainly helped me in the test-taking environment. I want to thank my parents (of course) for pushing me to do better, my teachers for keeping my love for learning alive, and my friends for always keeping me in good spirits and healthy mind.” 

Karitas J. ’27 co-leads Bush's state-championship-winning Ethics Bowl team and is a lead ambassador for the Bush Admissions Ambassador program. She is a counselor for Debate Camp and is also a peer mentor as part of the Blazer Blueprint program, the STEM Center, and the Social Committee. 

“This award represents the hours I put in studying for the standardized test and I’m appreciative that my efforts are being acknowledged! Getting this award will help further me in my academic career, and I’m very grateful for that. Receiving an experiential education, especially in STEM classes, definitely made me ready to take on the questions the PSAT and SAT have. I definitely have to thank my parents. They push me every day to help me reach my best self!” 

Nicole C. ’27 is a co-founder of the Climbing Club at Bush, and helps in the Community Engagement and Language Centers. 

“The teachers, support, and way that Bush makes learning so enjoyable and rewarding has given me so much more than just a PSAT commendation. I'm so grateful for the education Bush has given me, and I know it is setting me up for success in college and beyond. I want to give a huge shoutout to college counseling for making the college application process about so much more than test scores and awards.”

Rhys G. ’27 is another one of Bush’s National Merit Commended Scholars. 

“I've put a lot of effort into academics throughout Upper School, and this award is recognition of that effort. My English and history classes at Bush have helped develop my critical thinking skills, and my math classes have taught me the specific skills necessary for tests such as this. I’d like to thank my teachers and family for their support of me through school!” 

Sam G. ’27 co-leads Bush’s Math and Astronomy Clubs, helps in the STEM Center, and participates in the Climbing Club. 

“This award represents the time and effort I have put in at Bush. Being surrounded by a supportive community has set me up well for college and my future. I'd like to thank all of my teachers at Bush. The combination of rigor and experiential learning in my STEM classes and the development of my writing and critical thinking skills in my humanities classes prepared me well for the PSAT. I want to thank my parents who always support me and push me everyday to do my best.” 

Zachary T. ’27 is a member of Bush’s Ethics Bowl team and writes for The Rambler student newspaper. 

“This recognition makes me grateful to have received a high-quality education at Bush that allowed me to achieve this success. Honestly, my Wilderness First Responder Cascade course at Bush prepared me well for the stress of the PSAT and SAT. My parents deserve all the thanks!” 

Bush’s experiential education sets students up for success inside and outside of the classroom and is rooted in academic prowess, showcased by the accomplishments of this group of seniors. Congratulations to our thirteen students for their National Merit Recognition!