September 17, 2025
Gilbert High School student Alyse Beyer fits into that one percent of all high school seniors across the country. Actually, it’s an even more exclusive club than that. Try less than one percent.
Beyer, a member of the GHS Class of 2026, recently learned she has been named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. She is the fifth GHS student in the last three years to receive the honor. She follows in the footsteps of Class of 2024 member Alice Zhang, as well as Class of 2025 members Isaac Brown, Ashton Fergen, and Nathan Lee.
Beyer admits she was a little surprised when she heard of the honor, but she knows how important this opportunity is for her future.
“I’m really excited because I know this is a good opportunity as far as the scholarship is concerned,” Beyer said. “I’m a little bit nervous about the application, but I’m going to use this opportunity the best way I can.”
National Merit Scholar semifinalists are named based on students’ performances on the PSAT, which Beyer took during the second semester of her sophomore year. She can’t remember her specific score on the test, but it was obviously good.
Finalists will be named in February. All semifinalists will fill out an application and submit an essay, and performances on the ACT and SAT will also factor into which students become finalists.
A 4.0 student, Beyer has taken both the ACT and SAT. She scored a 33 on the ACT and has not received her SAT results.
Beyer says her current plan is to stay in the state for college, and programs at Iowa and Iowa State have peaked her interest. She’s not ruling out attending college out of state if the right opportunity presents itself though.
There are many potential career fields that peak her interest. She says aerospace engineering and electrical engineering at Iowa State are possibilities, as is the speech pathology program at Iowa.
“Those are a few of the things that are higher up on my list,” she said. “I do enjoy researching things and looking at different options.”
Gilbert Schools hopes you will join us in congratulating Alyse on this terrific honor, and help us wish her good luck in her pursuit of becoming a National Merit Scholarship finalist.
