Boone High School students Milo Reinhart and Jonathan Aucker have been named semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit® Scholarship Program.
Reinhart and Aucker are among 16,000 students nationwide selected as semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship program. More than 1.3 million juniors entered the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
“A big congratulations goes out to Milo and Jonathan for all their incredible work and dedication that have led to them earning this amazing honor,” said Julie Trepa, BCSD Superintendent. “These awards are a wonderful reflection on our entire school district community and represent a point of pride for us all.”
Reinhart plans to attend Iowa State University, where he will major in computer science. He attributes his love for problem-solving, a skill developed throughout his academic career, as his motivation to pursue this path. "Problem-solving has always been one of my favorite things in school, and computer science is mostly just that," Reinhart said. In addition to his academic accomplishments, Reinhart is active in several extracurricular activities, including band, basketball, soccer, and Magic: The Gathering Club.
Aucker plans to pursue a double major in math and physics at a leading STEM college. His goal is to earn at least one PhD and eventually teach and conduct research at the university level. Aucker’s passion for math and science has been a driving force in his academic career. “I have long been fascinated by math and science, and I have a certain academic prowess that I hope I can pass on to others as a teacher,” Aucker said. Outside the classroom, he is involved in activities such as dance, theater, choir/chorale, the Raccoon River Conference Honor Choir, and quiz bowl, and he occasionally tutors fellow students.
Semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of high school seniors nationwide and are chosen as the highest-scoring entrants from each state. The number of semifinalists in each state is proportionate to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To advance to the finalist stage of the competition, semifinalists must meet several requirements. This includes submitting a comprehensive application detailing their academic record, school and community involvement, examples of leadership, employment history, and honors and awards. Additionally, they must secure the endorsement and recommendation of a high school official, provide an essay, and present SAT or ACT scores confirming their performance on the qualifying test.
It is expected that about 95 percent of semifinalists will achieve finalist status, and approximately half of the finalists will ultimately receive a National Merit Scholarship and earn the Merit Scholar title.
The 2025 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced between April and July 2025. These scholarship recipients will join other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
To learn more about the National Merit Scholarship Program, please visit https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?sid=1758&gid=2&pgid=1879.