Mattituck student named semifinalist in prestigious academic competition

Mattituck High School student Richard Kalich has been named a semifinalist in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. 

The senior is one of approximately 16,000 semifinalists competing for about 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million. The program screens students through the previous year’s PSATs, largely taken by high school juniors. Semifinalists represent less than 1% of high school seniors in the country. 

“The distinction of having a student designated as a National Merit semifinalist brings pride to our school district and our community. We congratulate Richard on his outstanding achievement and wish him success as he continues in this prestigious competition,” Superintendent Shawn Petretti said in a press release. 

For the next stage in the competition, Richard and a school official need to submit a detailed scholarship application that addresses his academic record, extracurricular activities, leadership skills, employment and other achievements. He must also write an essay and earn similarly high SAT or ACT scores. 

Richard is co-captain of the sailing team, editor of the student newspaper, Mattitalk, and a member of the varsity baseball team and select chorus. He plans to pursue a career in computer engineering.