Livingston Parish Students Receive National Merit Recognition
LIVINGSTON, La. – Four Livingston Parish high school seniors have received recognition by the National Merit Scholarship program, including one student who has been named a 2026 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.
Walker High School Senior Collin Sprouse has been named one of 16,000 semifinalists in the 71st Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. As a semifinalist, Sprouse can continue to compete for one of 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly a total of $26 million that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title, according to the program’s news release.
Three additional local seniors – Parker Mitchell of Denham Springs High School, and Zach Braud and Elliot Perkins of Live Oak High School -- earned National Merit Commended recognition. This distinction highlights their exceptional academic achievements and places them among the nation’s top-performing students, honoring their hard work and dedication throughout the rigorous National Merit Scholarship process.
“A much-earned congratulations goes out to all four high school seniors who took on the rigorous academic requirements to pursue a National Merit award, including scheduling and taking a series of nationally based tests beginning as early as middle school,” Superintendent Jody Purvis said. “And congratulations to their parents for supporting them through this process. It is quite an honor just to receive a commendation, and a tremendous accolade to advance in the competition.”
“We certainly will be cheering for Mr. Sprouse’s advancement in the competition, wishing him the best fortune to become a finalist next year,” Purvis added.
Sprouse aspires to study biology and nursing in college to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). He said he gained a passion for working in healthcare after founding KidCreations, a volunteer service organization that assembles and delivers activity bags to pediatric patients. Sprouse holds a 4.2 GPA and a composite score of 35 on the ACT. He is captain of the Walker High School soccer team and participates in Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Mitchell plans to attend college to study atmospheric science and pursue a career as a meteorologist. He said he hopes to develop scientific techniques to advance storm prediction methods to improve safety in natural disaster situations. He has sustained a 4.0 GPA through high school, and he has qualified for and competed in the National Beta Convention multiple times.
Braud plans to attend LSU and major in finance and accounting. He is a 2025 AP Scholar with Distinction, which is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. He is involved in numerous extracurricular activities, including Beta, FCA, and volunteer work through Live Oak Church, the Food Bank, and World Help Organization.
Perkins plans to attend a four-year university and major in math or science but has left that open-ended. He would like to continue in band and music in career college. He is a 2025 AP Scholar with Distinction, which is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. He has taken an extremely rigorous course during high school, including four math and science classes beyond graduation requirements. He is involved in numerous extracurricular activities, including Beta, Talented Music, and E-sports, and is also actively involved in his church.
Over 1.3 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools nationwide entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
From over 16,000 semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
For more information on the National Merit Scholarship Program, including requirements for a student to be eligible for the program, visit www.nationalmerit.org