Three Hendrick Hudson Seniors Recognized by National Merit Scholarship Program

Hendrick Hudson High School seniors Alec Elkin, Castalia Litos and Alexandra Pappas were recognized as Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Program for the 2024-25 school year. The three students qualified for the honor based on the “exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the qualifying test used for program entry” — the 2023 Preliminary SAT (PSAT).

Based off of PSAT scores, the National Merit Scholarship Program selects the top 50,000 highest scorers nationally. The top 16,000 are designated as semifinalists and continue in the competition while the remaining students are named Commended Students.

Elkin, Litos and Pappas each received a Letter of Commendation with a congratulatory message from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

“Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” the NMSC said. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”