MIHS grad wins corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship award

Published 11:30 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026

National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has announced that Class of 2026 Mercer Island High School graduate Elsa B. Zepeda Juarez has won a corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship award in its 2026 program.

She will receive a University of Southern California scholarship and listed a probable career field of journalism.

On June 3, NMSC announced more than 2,500 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities, according to a press release.

“Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship,” NMSC added.