Marion County Public Schools' 2027 National Merit Semifinalists, all seniors in Vanguard High School's IB program. Photo: Marion County Public Schools
Six Vanguard High School IB Seniors Named 2027 National Merit Semifinalists
This is a education news article published on 2026-10-12 covering local Marion County, Florida news. Six seniors in Vanguard High School's International Baccalaureate program are Marion County Public Schools' semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. About 16,000 students nationwide reached the semifinals, out of more than 1.2 million who entered.
The six are Nirav Borade, Miles Burdette, Gabrielle "Gabby" Javelona, Nektarios Lavdas, Michael Ribay and Ifeanyichukwu Samuel.
A small national group
National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the nonprofit that runs the program, named more than 16,000 semifinalists in the program's 72nd year, according to its Sept. 9 announcement. More than 1.2 million juniors at about 20,000 high schools entered by taking the PSAT/NMSQT in 2025. The semifinalists make up less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, and each state's share is based on its share of the nation's graduating seniors.
Semifinalists are competing for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth about $24 million, which will be offered next spring.
What the six plan to study
The district listed each student's plans:
- Nirav Borade plans to study chemistry at Duke University or the University of Florida, with a goal of becoming a neurosurgeon.
- Miles Burdette plans to study electrical engineering at Georgia Tech.
- Gabrielle "Gabby" Javelona plans to study biochemistry at Harvard University or the University of Florida, with a goal of becoming an endodontist.
- Nektarios Lavdas plans to study computer science at the University of Florida.
- Michael Ribay plans to study environmental engineering at the University of Florida.
- Ifeanyichukwu Samuel plans to study psychology at Yale University, with a career in medicine in mind.
What comes next
Being a semifinalist is not the same as winning. To become a finalist, each student and a school official must submit a detailed scholarship application covering grades, activities, leadership, jobs and awards, according to National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Students also need a school official's endorsement, an essay and SAT or ACT scores that back up their PSAT result.
About 95 percent of semifinalists are expected to become finalists, and they will be told in February 2027. About half of the finalists will win a scholarship. Winners are announced in four national releases from April through July 2027, according to the organization's press release schedule: corporate-sponsored winners on April 21, National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners on May 12, and college-sponsored winners on June 2 and July 12.
The organization notes that finalist standing is not announced to the media. Each high school decides whether to share it.
More on Vanguard High School
More on the school is in the Only In Ocala Vanguard High School guide and its school directory listing. Families comparing options can browse the full Marion County schools directory or the guide to the best schools in Ocala. For more district news, see the recent report on how Marion County eliminated its D schools.
Sources: Marion County Public Schools, "Six Marion Students Named National Semifinalists" (Sept. 10, 2026); National Merit Scholarship Corporation, "Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program" (Sept. 9, 2026) and its 2027 public announcement schedule.
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