Half of Portland areas 22 top National Merit winners hail from just 2 schools – OregonLive

Across metro Portland, 22 students from 10 public and private high schools have won the coveted $2,500 National Merit scholarships given to students who show exceptional promise.

Half of those 2021 winners attended just two high schools: Sunset and Westview, both in the Beaverton School District.

Three other high schools had two winners each: the private Jesuit and Catlin Gabel schools and Lake Oswego High.

Winners of the $2,500 scholarships are judged the best of the best among National Merit Scholars, with what the scholarship organization says are the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in college. Panels of high school counselors and college admission officers pick them based on grades, difficulty of courses taken, standardized test scores, an essay and recommendations from a teacher and their high school.

Normally, as happened this year, National Merit officials limit that to 26 students across Oregon. In addition to the 22 winners from the Portland area, students in Ashland, Bend, Eugene and Silverton also made the elite achiever list.

The National Merit Corporation provides extremely limited information about winners, and The Oregonian/OregonLive found most of this information through independent research. Some school officials, including those at Sunset High, did not respond to requests for information about their winning students.

Here are the winning Portland-area students with additional information as available:

Catlin Gabel

Sophie Kruse, senior class president at Catlin Gabel, is headed to Columbia University to study engineering.

Sophia Kruse

She was a state leader in the Students Demand Action office, which mobilizes and educates voters about gun violence, and was elected senior class president at Catlin Gabel. She competed for four years as a member of Lincoln Highs varsity lacrosse team and was named player of the year in Portland Public Schools her senior year. She competed on Catlins cross country team and its soccer team, which won two state championships. She worked on her schools environmental action team all four years of high school. She will attend Columbia University, where she plans to study engineering.

Tiffany Toh, a standout in debat and robotics, is headed to Yale University.

Tiffany Toh

During high school, she was interested in music and debate and was known for being extremely energetic, according to the Catlin website. She served as a three-year member and eventual co-leader of the winning robotics team, The Flaming Chickens. She was a member of the varsity swim team and served as a school ambassador. As a senior, she was named one of 10 Deans List students among 90,000 who competed in events leading to the international high school robotics competition. She is headed to Yale University and told National Merit officials she is likely to major in biomedical engineering.

Krishna Home school

Gopal Goel, who placed fourth in the nation's oldest and most prestigious math and science competition for high school seniors, is headed to MIT to study math and physics.

Gopal Goel

He won $100,000 the nations oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors for math research that made connections between two subjects regarding randomness and probability. He told contest organizers he hopes his work will aid in the search for the true nature of quantum gravity, more commonly known as the theory of everything. He can solve a Rubiks cube even while blindfolded. He won a silver medal at the 2020 International Math Olympiad. He mentored students on the U.S. Physics Olympiad team. He is headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as MIT, and plans to study math and physics.

Jesuit

Eliza Daigle, who reveled in lacrosse, science and volunteerism during high school, is headed to Whitman College, where she plans to study biochemistry and related fields.

Eliza Daigle

She earned class academic achievement awards in science and Spanish. She served as co-captain of the womens varsity lacrosse team, which won its first state championship in 2019 and won again this year. She took part in Oregon Health & Science Universitys partnership in scientific inquiry program, which introduces high school students to the scientific process and laboratory research. In turn, she served as a co-leader of Jesuits junior scientists program, which aims to encourage a love of science through fun experiments that develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. She volunteered at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and contributed more than 100 hours of service to Good Samaritan Medical Center. She is headed to Whitman College, where she will play lacrosse and plans to major in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology.

Passionate about computer science, problem solving and research, Marissa Kuo is headed to Santa Clara University to study computer science and engineering.

Marissa Kuo

She received the outstanding applied chemistry award from the Portland chapter of the American Chemical Society at the Northwest Science Fair for her research on green chemistry methods for degrading neurotoxic herbicides. She interned at Portland State University in a computer science lab where she studied computer algorithms for night vision. She helped lead her schools Asian Student Union and research club. She competed on the Jesuit swim team. Passionate about computer science, problem solving, and research, she is headed to Santa Clara University to study computer science and engineering.

Lakeridge

Roselyn Dai

She volunteered as a peer intervention specialist at the Portland-based teen crisis hotline YouthLine and was honored by the Oregon Chinese Coalition for her volunteerism. She also volunteered at two local medical centers and was a multi-year member of her schools speech and debate team. She told National Merit officials she is likely to study medicine.

Lake Oswego

Jackie Booth, who played varsity tennis and taught younger students math for three years, is headed to the University of Southern California.

Jaqueline Jackie Booth

She competed all four years on the varsity tennis team and volunteered regularly at Portland Rescue Mission and other community organizations. She co-led the schools fellowship club and worked as a math instructor at Mathnasium Learning Center since her sophomore year. She is headed to the University of Southern California, where she plans to major in philosophy, politics and law.

George Danzelaud, a poet, violin player, singer-songwriter and varsity sprinter, is headed to the University of Southern California to study business and computer science.Randal Leitch Photography

George Danzelaud

A varsity sprinter who loves both science and the arts, he was elected president of his senior class. He performed a virtual concert with his brother to raise money for the Oregon Humane Society in the wake of last summers deadly wildfires. He performed solo violin at Carnegie Hall, won a gold award for his poetry and is a self-taught guitarist and singer who published three songs on iTunes and Spotify. He is headed to the University of Southern California and plans to double major in computer science and business.

Oregon Episcopal School

Lila Schweinfurth

She was the state winner of U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize. Her research on predicting harmful algal blooms to improve water quality also put her among the five Oregon students named semifinalists in the nations oldest and most prestigious math and science compeitions for high school seniors. She plays violin and plans to study science and prepare for a career involving research, according to National Merit officials.

Sunset

Anika Gupta is passionate about the real-world applications of science and technology and has deeply researched aquaponics in pursuit of sustainably growing food. She will attend the University of Southern California, where she plans to double major in business and computer science.

Anika Gupta

Anika Gupta is passionate about equity and real-world applicability of science and technology. Four years ago, she started a classroom aquaponics project that shes since grown into a bioengineering syllabus used by more than 700 student researchers. Shes working alongside the NASA Ames Research Center to learn to grow food sustainably. Anika also co-founded Project Portland Carry, a nonprofit to support students during COVID through educational helplines and accessible lunch delivery. As president of the Sunset speech and debate club, Anika rebuilt her club amid what she called existential challenges and led Sunset to a state championship victory this spring. She personally was named Oregons top extemporaneous speaker. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Coca-Cola Scholarship. She is headed to the University of Southern California, where she plans to study business and computer science.

Amuthan Amu Ilavarasan

He won a scholarship for winning an art competition. He designs and sells t-shirts. He told National Merit officials he was likely to study environmental science.

Eric Kim conducted two years of research on bioinformatics at Oregon Health & Science University, plays clarinet and is a competitive Taekwondo sparring athlete. He is headed to Columbia University.

Eric Kim

He founded and led the Sunset Science Ambassadors program that matches high school science scholars with fifth-graders to mentor them through hands-on science projects. He is one of five Oregon students named a Regeneron Scholar for his biology research as part of the nations oldest and most prestigious science and math competitions for high school seniors. A longtime volunteer for hard-of-hearing individuals, he designed see-through face masks to aid their communication during the pandemic and helped people all over the country get materials and instructions needed to make them. He conducted two years of research on bioinformatics at Oregon Health & Science University, plays clarinet and is a competitive Taekwondo sparring athlete. He is headed to Columbia University.

Kevin Seog led Oregon's top team in the Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science contest in 2020 and 2021. He is headed to Berkeley, where he plans to double major in business and computer science.

Kevin Minjay Seog

He co-led Oregons top team in the Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science contest this spring and last. He provided illustrations for a college-level economics book focusing on risk and insurance. He plays piano and guitar. He is headed to the University of California, Berkeley, where he intends to double major in computer science and business.

Stan Wing founded and led a nonprofit dedicated to providing free debate opportunities to middle schoolers across Oregon. He is headed to New York Universitys Stern School of Business to study business with concentrations in finance and econometrics.

Stanley Wang

During high school, he honed his skills as a landscape and portrait photographer. He competed as a member of Sunsets golf team. His primary extracurricular involvement during high school was with Health Occupations Students of America, an organization that holds state and international business competitions and conferences for high school students and its health careers counterpart. He helped found and served as president of the Oregon Middle School Speech and Debate League, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free debate opportunities to middle schoolers across Oregon. He is headed to New York Universitys Stern School of Business to study business with concentrations in finance and econometrics.

Lele Yang was a frequent volunteer during high school, including leading a group that taught computer science lessons to middle and high school students. She is headed to Penn State University, where she will take part in an accelerated premedical and medical program.

Lele Zixin Yang

Yang was president of Tech4Girls, in which she taught computer science lessons to middle and high school students. She gathered resources and grants for the program and also trained student teachers to help with the classes. She is an artist and a competitive fencer. Yang will enter the accelerated premedical-medical program at Penn State University in the fall.

Tualatin

Aven Sadighi, who competed in sports and business, is headed to Oregon State Universitys Honors College to study computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence.

Aven Sadighi

The Tualatin High valedictorian volunteered for three years tutoring fellow students. He competed and medaled at the 2020 Health Occupations Students of America state conference. He spent three years as a member of Pack Leaders, the student group that aids incoming freshmen in navigating their first year of high school. He competed freshman year in cross country, baseball and track and spent many hours volunteering in the community as a member of the National Honors Society. Hes headed to Oregon State Universitys Honors College to study computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence.

West Linn

Gillian Herbert

Herbert plans to study public policy in college, National Merit officials indicated.

Westview

Sangana Ilango

Ilango won a Congressional App Challenge for her mobile phone application, Spoiler Alert!, that helps consumers determine if food and medications are safe to use. She founded a club called CodeHERS to help encourage elementary girls to try computer coding. She worked as a research assistant at Oregon Health & Science University in summer 2019, interned at Mentor Graphics in summer 2020 and is interning with the product management team at Oregon Sesame this summer. Shes headed to the University of Southern California and will major in computer science.

Adam Jones

He conducted genomic research in Portland State Universitys Extreme Virus Lab. He competed at least one year for his high schools baseball, track and soccer teams. He is likely to study engineering in college, according to National Merit officials.

Pranav Mandyam, who placed in the top 10 in an international high school competition for biomedical laboratory science, is headed to Rice University to study cell biology and genetics.

Pranav Mandyam

He was named one of the top 10 National finalists biomedical laboratory sciences by the Health Occupations Students of America. He likely plans to major in cell biology, National Merit officials said.

Sophie Ong competed in speech and debate and did two years of research analyzing cancer genome databases and studying the impact of mRNA on tumors. At the University of California, Los Angeles, she plans to study genetics and related fields on a premed track.

Sophia Joy Ong

She competed as a member of Westviews speech and debate team. She served as co-president of Westviews chapter of Health Occupations Students of America and won that groups state championship in prepared speaking. She conducted research on cancer for two years at Oregon Health & Science University. She was also a captain of the school speech and debate team and competed at tournaments on both the state and national level. She is an avid guitar player and holds a third degree black belt in taekwondo. Shes headed to the University of California, Los Angeles, to study microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics.

John Wang

He competed in and volunteered at many middle and high school robotics competitions, including serving as captain of his high school team. He competed as a member of Westviews varsity cross country and track teams. He was captain of the science club and president of the schools quiz bowl team, according to his profile on LinkedIn. He helped conduct research as an intern at Portland State Universitys Extreme Virus Lab. He is likely to study bioinformatics in college, National Merit officials said.

Note: If you know, or better are, one of these students, and I dont have a photo or full information, please contact me so I can make the coverage more complete.

-- Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com; @chalkup

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Half of Portland areas 22 top National Merit winners hail from just 2 schools - OregonLive