Four Robbinsville High School seniors have been named semi-finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, placing them among the top scorers in the nation.
Students enter the program by taking the PSAT, formally known as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Only about 16,000 of the more than 1.3 million entrants nationwide qualify as semi-finalists.
Shankah Chaudhuri, Thomas Dinh, Ahaan Khasnis and Aarush Mane earned the distinction this year.
Chaudhuri says his favorite subject is chemistry, especially hands-on applications, and he plans to major in chemical engineering after high school.
He is active in the school’s theater community, is writing his senior one-act play, and also performs at cultural events, sings, plays piano and golfs.
Dinh says he hopes to become a doctor one day and balances his science-focused studies with music, including marching band and a selection to the 2025 Central Jersey Jazz Band.
He is also involved in student government, Future Business Leaders of America and several honor societies, and encourages younger students to get involved in as much as they can.
Khasnis says he has a strong interest in STEM, particularly math and physics, and wants to major in mechanical engineering. He is treasurer of the school’s Model U.N. team and recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
He credits his parents for pushing him to be a devoted student and his twin brother, Vivaan, for being a constant source of support.
Mane says he is motivated by a deep love of learning and enjoys competitive mathematics alongside his work as the strategy lead for Nemesis, the school’s robotics team.
He attended the New Jersey Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology, where he developed an algorithm that he later presented at MIT.
“We are very proud of all these four students have accomplished so far and look forward to seeing what impacts they make in their chosen fields,” said Robbinsville Public Schools Superintendent Patrick Pizzo.
“They are exceptional role models for our younger students and add to our district’s long history of academic excellence,” he said.
Scholarship recipients will be announced next spring.