Last September, five Saint Stephen’s seniors were named semifinalists for 2016 National Merit Scholarships, half of the 10 chosen throughout Manatee County. All five – Hannah Sage, Sabrina Priestly, Zack Gromko, Joe Class, and Michelle Yan – have now advanced to be among 15,000 finalists nationwide. That’s the highest number at Saint Stephen’s since 2005. Approximately half of the finalists will win National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32-million this spring. The process of becoming a National Merit Scholar begins during the junior year of high school when students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Those named finalists are the highest-scoring entrants in each state — fewer than one-percent of all U.S. high school seniors.