- May 23, 2026
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When Braden River High School graduate Kevin Chen received a congratulatory text in October from a teacher that he was a National Merit semifinalist, he was shocked.
He went to the School District of Manatee County Facebook page and refreshed it over and over to confirm it was true.
In February, he received a letter that notified him that he was a finalist — which means he is in the top 1% of those who took the PSAT nationwide.
“National Merit isn't something you can do without hundreds, if not thousands of hours of work,” Chen said. “Sometimes it's intuition. Sometimes it's just how the dice rolls, but if you've put in the effort to study and actually work for it, you have a much higher chance than somebody who doesn't. It’s about having dedication.”
Zachary Papper, Hays Wilson, Mason Chase and Chase Smith, all 2026 graduates of The Out-of-Door Academy, were also awarded national merit recognition and are finalists.
All of them, including Chen, have access to apply to National Merit scholarships. If they receive scholarships through the organization, they become National Merit Scholars.
In order to become a National Merit finalist, the students had to receive high scores on the PSAT, had to be nominated by their schools, and had to submit an essay.
Smith said being a National Merit finalist is about more than getting recognition. He said he has been heavily influenced by his family, particularly his mom, Julie, and his late dad, Scott, who died of esophageal cancer in 2023.
Scott Smith was also a National Merit finalist, so it is an important accomplishment within their family.
Wilson is a self-described “massive nerd” who plans to study marine biology at Duke University. He was named valedictorian at ODA and also volunteers at Mote Marine.
When Wilson went to take the PSAT, there were technical difficulties. It ended up working in his favor because he often gets nervous about tests.
“It was kind of funny because it took the edge off,” Wilson said. “It was delayed two hours and we had this ‘we're all in this together’ mentality while stuck in this room with nothing to do.”
Papper, 18, decided to pursue National Merit recognition after his parents encouraged him to do so. He is the 2026 salutatorian at ODA and said he especially enjoys math. He recalls watching shows like "Team Umizoomi "as a child, particularly enjoying numbers even back then.
He said he is a major over thinker, especially when it comes to test taking.
“I don’t allow myself to go back in and check my work,” Papper said. “I have to tell myself to answer it, and then I'm done with that question. I'm not allowed to go back because you're more likely to change a correct answer into an incorrect answer.”
Mason Chase was inspired to go after National Merit recognition after his friend, Connor Jorgenson, a 2025 ODA graduate, earned the recognition. He said he largely credits his success to the college counselors at ODA who provided him guidance.
