Cape Coral High Student Named National Merit Semifinalist

William Hart, a student at Cape Coral High School, earned recognition as a Semifinalist in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. Hart is one of five students from the School District of Lee County to achieve this honor, placing him among the top 1 percent of high school seniors nationwide.

The National Merit Scholarship Program identifies academically talented high school seniors. Hart and other semifinalists now compete for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships, totaling nearly $24 million, to be awarded in Spring 2027.

Hart pursues his International Baccalaureate Diploma at Cape Coral High School. He plans to study biology and chemistry, aspiring to attend either MIT or Duke University.

Katelyn Uhler, a Cape Coral High School teacher, praised Hart's dedication. "William is a dedicated scholar in our IB Diploma Program who thrives on academic challenges while remaining deeply committed to supporting his peers," Uhler said. "This honor is well deserved, and we are thrilled to see the impact he will make in the future."

The selection process for the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program began when over 1.2 million juniors from approximately 20,000 high schools took the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The program identifies students with exceptional academic promise.

Other Lee County students named Semifinalists include Philip Walczak from Estero High School, Asher Frey and Austen Summy from Fort Myers High School, and Agustin Calderon from Mariner High School. Scholarship winners will be announced next spring.