WESTPORT and LE HAVRE, FRANCE–Eleven Staples High School students received special honors this week. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation named eight students as semifinalists and the Normandy International Youth Leadership Summit named three students.

National Merit Scholarship semifinalists

Principal Stafford W. Thomas with SHS semifinalists (L to R) Gabriella White, Charlotte Roberts, Cora Barrett, Tyler Little, Joseph Carpenter, Ayush Rudra, and Sahil Vora - Contributed photo
Principal Stafford W. Thomas with SHS semifinalists (L to R) Gabriella White, Charlotte Roberts, Cora Barrett, Tyler Little, Joseph Carpenter, Ayush Rudra, and Sahil Vora – Contributed photo

The eight members of the Staples class of 2027 to reach the National Merit Scholarship semifinals are: 

  • Cora Barrett
  • Joseph Carpenter
  • Tyler Little
  • Anwara Olasewere
  • Charlotte Roberts
  • Ayush Rudra
  • Sahil Vora
  • Gabriella White  

Nationwide, fewer than one percent of the over 1.2 million students who took the qualifying exam will compete for 7,000+ National Merit Scholarships worth more than $29 million.

Staples High School Principal Stafford W. Thomas, Jr. praised the achievements of these students, saying “It is an extraordinary honor for these students to be recognized for their academic abilities, and an honor for our school.

Normandy International Youth Leadership Summit

NIYLS 2026 Delegates Azita Vazhayil, Natalie Hartano, and Tucker Eklund - Contributed photo
NIYLS 2026 Delegates Azita Vazhayil, Natalie Hartano, and Tucker Eklund – Contributed photo

The Institution Saint Joseph has invited Staples High School students to participate in the 2026 Normandy International Youth Leadership Summit.

The selected delegates of the junior-year event–Azita Vazhayil, Natalie Hartano and Tucker Eklund–are high-performing students with a strong interest in world affairs.  

Throughout the November event, they will have the opportunity to meet students from around the world and exchange ideas and perspectives. They will also work collaboratively to develop an action plan addressing an issue affecting their community and the world, with the goal of implementing their plan after completing the program. 

Representatives from Brazil, South Africa, Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, Romania, Costa Rica, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, Spain, Turkey, Poland, Finland, Senegal, Indonesia, Estonia, and the United States participate in the summit.