Ridgefield student named National Merit Scholarship semifinalist

Ridgefield — Ian Abrams of Ridgefield High School was named a semifinalist for the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program, making him the 12th student in school history to be named a semifinalist. Ridgefield High School’s last National Merit award winner was Ian Vanwyhe in 2002. About 1.6 million high school juniors across the country take the PSAT, and about 1 percent of those students achieve test scores high enough to become National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Abrams is enrolled in AP courses, maintains a 4.0 GPA and volunteers as a peer tutor for the high school’s Spudder Academy twice a week. He is also a varsity athlete and captain of the cross country team, and last summer, he traveled to Belize to help build a school library with a humanitarian group. His Eagle Scout project involved setting up an annual book sale and constructing decorative trees for the Lakeside Community Library.