Dean Named 2024 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

2024 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist Owen Dean (left) and L-S High School Principal Dr. Benjamin Feeney

Senior Owen Dean is among 16,000 Semifinalists announced today in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. He will now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. 

Owen is the son of Jesse and Laura O’Connor of Strasburg. He is a member of the L-S High School marching band, jazz band, concert band, STEM Club, and Quiz Bowl teams. Owen was also a repeat Burrowes Scholar for excellence in mathematics. He plans to study mechanical engineering and hopes to attend MIT.

Owen’s score on the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) earned him a spot as a Semifinalist. Over 1.3 million juniors from about 21,000 high schools entered the program. 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. 

Congratulations, and best of luck, Owen!