Bluffton High School student named 2025 National Merit Scholar

BEAUFORT – A Bluffton High School student has been announced as the winner of a prestigious National Merit Scholarship.

Ava Elizabeth Rios is among only 2,500 high school seniors nationwide who will receive a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship for college study. National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

“This is a great accomplishment for Ava and our district,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. “It speaks to the academic rigor we offer, and the superb instructional environment provided by our educators and staff in support of student achievement.”

Rios will be attending Yale University this fall and majoring in Neuroscience to ultimately attend medical school and become a physician. She is a conservationist at heart as evidenced by her work with Hilton Head Audubon Society, volunteerism at the Coastal Discovery Museum, and commitment to protecting the Lowcountry’s flora and fauna.

 

 

Bluffton High School Student, Ava Elizabeth Rios, 2025 National Merit Scholar

This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2023 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state-representational basis. More than 16,000 Semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a nonprofit that operates without government assistance and was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 280 independent corporate and college sponsors.