Four LSMSA Students Earn “Commended” Status from 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program

Four current seniors at Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) in Natchitoches have been named "commended students" by the National Merit Scholarship Program. The students being recognized are: Ian Leger, of Slidell; Wesley Maidoh, of Houma; Keegan Mason, of Morgan City, and Kyler Toms, of Castor. All four were awarded this accolade for “their outstanding ability and potential for academic success in college” as determined by the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), according to a press release distributed by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

 

Generally, the top 2% to 3% of PSAT scorers receive commended student status—or about 34,000 students across the U.S.

 

“We are so proud of these four genuinely remarkable students and grateful that they chose to attend LSMSA,” said Leah Lentz, Lead Counselor and AP Coordinator at LSMSA. “We join NMSC in celebrating their accomplishments."

 

In recognition of their achievements, NMSC will send each of the four commended LSMSA students a letter of commendation through their high school. Although commended students will not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some may be candidates for special scholarships offered by corporate sponsors. For more information on the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, call (847) 866-5100 or email mediainfo@nmerit.net.

 

LSMSA is Louisiana's state-supported residential high school with competitive admissions for highly-motivated sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As a public school, there is no tuition to attend, and assistance from the LSMSA Foundation ensures that the program is accessible to all qualifying students regardless of financial circumstances. For more information on applying to LSMSA, visit the LSMSA Admissions page.