Dr. Christine Brookbank, Moeller’s provost, announced that Joseph Nanista has been named a National Merit Semifinalist.

This academically talented high school senior now has an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,700 National Merit^® Scholarships worth nearly $24 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

High school juniors entered the 2027 National Merit^® Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit® Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and rewards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Dr. Brookbank also announced that Evan McGraw, Tyler Nill, and Noah Pitz have been named Commended Students in the 2027 National Merit® Scholarship Program. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. 

A Little More About the Students

Joseph Nanista serves as the team chaplain of the Varsity Academic Team, is a member of Moeller Theatre, and is a member of Moeller's Speech and Debate team. When not busy with school and clubs, Joseph is involved with his parish's youth group and enjoys writing. He plans to attend college next year, but is not sure which one, yet. His front runners include Franciscan University of Steubenville, Hillsdale College, Miami University, and the University of Notre Dame.

Evan McGraw started and leads the Entrepreneurship Club at Moeller, is a Chaminade Global Scholar, and is a member of National Honor Society and Latin Honor Society. Outside of school, Evan plays lacrosse and coaches his sister's basketball team. He plans to attend college with his top choices being Indiana University, Villanova University, Babson College, or Dartmouth College.

Tyler Nill is a member of the Moeller chess team and is considering the University of Cincinnati for college, where he currently plans on studying computer science or astrophysics.

Noah Pitz is involved with molecular modeling and plays volleyball. Outside of school, he plays club volleyball and piano. He is still undecided on his plans for next year but is considering a field in medicine.   

“We are so proud of Evan, Joseph, Tyler, and Noah. Achieving this distinction from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation reflects not only their academic excellence but also their passion for learning and commitment to intellectual curiosity. They exemplify what it means to be a Man of Moeller, and we look forward to celebrating their continued success,” said Dr. Brookbank.