Nicholas DeSanctis, a senior at Stepinac High School, has advanced to finalist in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program Competition, an academic achievement enjoyed by a select group of high school students nationwide.  

 

 “Progressing to this level is impressive indeed when you consider that Nick was among 1.5 million entrants to compete this year,” said Stepinac Honors Academy counselor Cynthia Kilkelly. “Out of that huge pool, he is among 15,000 to earn the finalist standing.” 

 

Going forward, DeSanctis will vie for a National Merit Scholarship Award, the winners of which will be announced in the spring. 

 

The National Merit Scholarship is his latest academic achievement. He received top grades in two college-level online Harvard Pre-College Program summer courses in Calculus 3 and Physics 2, earning eight Harvard credits.  

 

He is the recipient of the coveted Rensselaer Medal, which brings with it the opportunity for a $120,000 scholarship. At the start of his senior year, he was accepted into the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Program.  

 

A member of Stepinac’s Honors Academy, a regionally unique, three-year personalized learning program with focused studies in engineering, health sciences, finance and economics, and law, he plans to pursue his interests in computer science and biomedicine at college. 

 

“On behalf of the entire Stepinac family, we congratulate Nick on his latest academic honor,” said Frank Portanova, Vice Principal for Academics and Curriculum. “It reflects not only his distinguished performance but also his potential for future academic accomplishment. We wish him continued success.”