Kristen Celeste Rhodes, a graduating senior of Murrah High School, has been chosen as a recipient of the highly selective National Merit $2,500 Scholarship. Kristen is one of only 2,500 students chosen from a nationwide pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

Conducted by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, the selection process considers grades and rigor of coursework as well as performance on the PSAT/NMSC qualifying test taken in the junior year of high school. Scholars must also demonstrate school and community leadership and service. Additionally, they must complete an essay and receive a written recommendation from a high school official.

Earlier this school year, Kristen was recognized for academic excellence along with her teacher Rhonda Murphy-Johnson. The two were honored by the Mississippi Economic Council in the STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) program. Like the National Merit program, the basis of the statewide STAR recognition was Rhodes’ sky-high GPA and perfect score on a different college admissions test, the ACT.

In addition to her academic accomplishments, Kristen participates in the Jackson Middle College program, a collaborative initiative with Jackson State University. This unique program prepares high school students to become highly qualified educators within the state of Mississippi.

About the National Merit ® Scholarship Program

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition among high school students for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships that began in 1955. The program is conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC^®), a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. United States high school students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT^®), which serves as an initial screen of over 1.3 million entrants each year, and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.