National Merit Scholar honors continue for Bloomington students
(L-R) Matthewos Michael, Duncan McDonald, Conor Sweeney
Three Bloomington students are recipients of college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships. 2026 graduates Matthewos Michael (KHS), Duncan McDonald and Conor Sweeney (JHS) are among 69 Minnesota students and 3,500 U.S. high school seniors who will receive a college-sponsored scholarship this year.
Michael’s scholarship is sponsored by the University of Minnesota, where he plans to study aerospace engineering. Sweeney’s is sponsored by St. Olaf College where he plans to study psychology, and McDonald’s is sponsored by the University of Alabama where he plans to pursue a healthcare degree.
The college-sponsored awards are the latest round announced in the program. In May, recipients of National Merit $2,500 Scholarships were announced, which included seniors Jamie Keenan (KHS) and Alexander Krotz (JHS). Additional recipients of college-sponsored awards will be announced in July.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition recognizing outstanding students based on their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in college. The selection process for this year’s scholarships began in 2024 when more than 1.3 million students entered the program as juniors by taking the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) exam. To compete for awards, students must have an outstanding academic record and excellent SAT or ACT scores, among other requirements.