Northport High School senior Ayla Lerner was one of 16,000 students to be selected as a semifinalist in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program on Sept. 11 and during her congratulatory meeting, Principal Daniel Danbusy said that he was “confident” that she would progress to the final round. 

To be eligible, students had to score within the top 1 percentile on a preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying test. Ayla was one of approximately 1.2 million students who completed the preliminary test and she will continue to compete for one of 7,600 National Merit Scholarships. The $2,500 scholarship would go towards her freshman year of college. 

“It’s a testament to what you have put in,” Mr. Danbusky said, praising her on her work ethic. “It’s no surprise.”

While Ayla has not yet selected her college of choice, she is speaking with several coaches to narrow her selection down to one that has an exceptional rowing program. Ayla has been rowing for five years and is currently a member of the Long Island Rowing Club. She plans to continue that passion in college while majoring in business.

Ayla is currently co-president of the school’s Spanish club and an officer in the school’s “Academy of Finance” program. 

Congratulations, Ayla!