It’s been a banner year for the students of Fort Worth Country Day (FWCD), where more than 20 scholars have caught the attention of national academic programs, earning honors that place them among the top students in Texas — and the nation, according to a release. 

Leading the pack is Andrew Lobo ’26, who has been named a National Merit Semifinalist — a distinction that puts him in the top 1% of high school seniors across the U.S. Lobo is one of 1,673 Semifinalists in Texas and among 16,000 nationwide, having scored in the top tier on the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT. With this achievement, he now has the chance to advance to the Finalist level and compete for one of roughly 6,900 National Merit Scholarships awarded each year. 

Joining Lobo in the national spotlight are 11 National Merit Commended Students, recognized for their exceptional academic promise. The honorees — Nate Blan, Avery Bleich, Courtney Comeaux, Luci Gonzalez, GiGi Helling, William Marlow, Paxtyn McPeak, Eliza Peacock, Adam Rafati, Hailey Seiden, and Kerri Tsai — rank among the top 34,000 scorers nationwide and 4,653 in Texas. 

“Being named a Commended Student is a remarkable academic achievement and speaks to the students’ hard work and intellectual talent,” said Kristin Larsen, FWCD’s Director of College Counseling. “This year’s cutoff for advancing to Semifinalist was the highest it has ever been in Texas, and several of our students came incredibly close to that level.” 

FWCD’s list of honors doesn’t stop there. A record 23 students earned recognition from the College Board National Recognition Programs, which celebrate those whose PSAT/NMSQT or AP scores rank in the top 10% of their school. These accolades include the School Recognition Award, for students excelling academically within their school, and the First-Generation Recognition Award, which celebrates trailblazers pursuing a college degree in their families for the first time. 

Recipients of the School Recognition Award include Cannon Black ’26, Nate Blan ’26, Avery Bleich ’26, Charlie Cady ’27, Courtney Comeaux ’26, Luci Gonzalez ’26, GiGi Helling ’26, Sean Hong ’27, Andrew Lobo ’26, William Marlow ’26, Paxtyn McPeak ’26, Brooklyn Ogozalik ’26, Eliza Peacock ’26, Adam Rafati ’26, Samantha Saade ’26, Hailey Seiden ’26, Kerri Tsai ’26, Akshay Vasudevan ’26, and Blake Wood ’27. First-Generation Recognition Award honorees include Esteban Gomez ’26, Sophia Jiang ’26, Rayden Liddell ’27, and Sebastian Zelaya ’27. 

“These recognitions are a tremendous source of pride for our entire Falcon community,” Larsen said. “Having 20+ students recognized by the nation’s top academic scholarship programs highlights not only our students’ dedication and hard work, but also the unwavering support from our exceptional faculty and families.” 

For more on Fort Worth Country Day, visit www.fwcd.org.