Five National Merit Finalists Amongst Impressive Graduating Class
Developed in Partnership with Polk County Public Schools
Polk County continues to prepare thousands of high-achieving students for success after high school.
After a busy graduation season for the Class of 2026, many alums are now heading to top public and private universities, technical colleges and the U.S. military.
Locally, Bartow High had 331 graduates, Summerlin Academy had 68 and International Baccalaureate Bartow had 58.
IB Bartow was also home to all five of this year’s National Merit Scholarship winners from PCPS: Lucas Auto, Jacob Heist, Abigail Jennings, Navin Lall and Indrani Nakka.
Florida State University financed the scholarships for Auto, Jennings and Lall. Heist and Nakka received scholarships financed by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
“Their success reflects not only their individual commitment to excellence, but also the supportive community of families, teachers and peers who have helped them along the way.”
The National Merit program evaluates students based on their academic records, test scores and difficulty of subjects studied, as well as their involvement in school and community activities.
National Merit winners, selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, are “judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies,” according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Mandy Craven, IB Bartow’s head of school, said she was delighted to see her students earn such a prestigious distinction.
“At IB Bartow, we are incredibly proud of our National Merit Finalists and the dedication, perseverance and intellectual curiosity that this achievement represents. Being named a finalist is one of the most prestigious academic honors a high school student can earn, placing these students among the nation’s highest achievers,” she said. “Their success reflects not only their individual commitment to excellence, but also the supportive community of families, teachers and peers who have helped them along the way. We celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, and look forward to the impact these students will make in the future.”
Additional National Merit winners will be announced in July, so there is still an opportunity for more Polk County students to grab the national spotlight.
