Steven Strong {BCPS}
Monarch High School graduating senior Steven Strong has been named a recipient of a College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship, earning a National Merit University of Florida Scholarship through the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Strong was among 26 Broward County Public Schools seniors selected for the prestigious honor, which recognizes outstanding academic achievement, leadership, community involvement and potential for success in higher education.
Officials from participating colleges and universities selected scholarship recipients from among National Merit Scholarship Program finalists who plan to attend their institutions. The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the sponsoring college or university.
“Congratulations to these outstanding students for earning one of the nation’s most prestigious academic honors,” BCPS Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn said. “Their achievements reflect years of hard work, dedication and perseverance, as well as the support of their families, teachers and school communities. We are incredibly proud of their success and look forward to the impact they will have in the future.”
This year, 138 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program, including 69 private and 69 public colleges and universities across 42 states and the District of Columbia.
Additional recipients of college-sponsored awards will be announced on July 13.
Other BCPS College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship recipients include:
College Academy at Broward College
- Elias Waite, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
Cypress Bay High School
- Lucas M. Archibald, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Joanna Behling, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Bryan Bomfim, National Merit Florida State University Scholarship
- Andrew Horsburgh, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Andrew Lacayo, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Karolos Y. Liveris, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Daksh Patel, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Emily Sebastian, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Ricardo Arturo Sucre Martinez, National Merit Vanderbilt University Scholarship
- Sophia Wu, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
- Sophia G. Alvarez, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Joshua W. Brown, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Nidhi Bharambe, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Sarah E. Rosaler, National Merit University of Alabama Scholarship
- Ava E. Thomas, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
Nova High School
- Oluebube A. Alutu, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
Plantation High School
- Cristian Daniel Ponce, National Merit Florida Atlantic University Scholarship
Pompano Beach High School
- Suhani C. Patel, National Merit Indiana University Bloomington Scholarship
- Maurizio Stradiotti, National Merit University of Central Florida Scholarship
- Justin Tufo, National Merit Florida State University Scholarship
- Michael Drew, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Hunter Ryan Millikin, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
West Broward High School
- Chloe Van Smith, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
- Brianna Wells, National Merit University of Florida Scholarship
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