West Aurora School District 129 is pleased to announce that West Aurora High School students, Abigail Cummings, Natalie McLear, and Conor Wendel have been named Commended Students in the esteemed 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program.
In recognition of this accomplishment, West Aurora High School and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®), the program’s governing body, have presented the scholastically talented seniors with Letters of Commendation. This accolade acknowledges their outstanding dedication to academic excellence.
Approximately 34,000 Commended Students are receiving this honor for exhibiting exceptional academic promise. These commendations place them within the upper ranks of the 50,000 students who entered the 2025 competition by participating in the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). While they will not proceed to vie for the National Merit Scholarship awards, their distinction remains a testament to their academic capabilities.
“We are so proud of our Commended Students of the National Merit Scholarship program,” stated West Aurora High School’s principal, Dr. Whitney Martino. “This recognition is evidence of Abigail, Natalie, and Conor’s commitment to academics and high achievement. They are now part of an exclusive group of students across the nation that demonstrate outstanding academic performance.”
— West Aurora School District 129