Logan Mendonca and Nathan Weyand Earn Prestigious Recognition
For the first time in years, McMinnville High School has a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. This year, it has two.
Seniors Logan Mendonca and Nathan Weyand have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, one of the nation’s most prestigious academic honors for high school students.
The recognition is particularly significant at MHS. It has been seven years since a McMinnville High School student last earned National Merit recognition at this level. In the past 30 years, just four MHS students have reached this point, and fewer than 10 have done so in the school’s history.
Nationwide, more than 16,000 students were named semifinalists this year, representing less than 1 percent of graduating high school seniors. Semifinalists are among the highest scoring students in their states on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or PSAT/NMSQT. They now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million. About 95 percent of semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist standing.
For Nathan, the recognition reflects both his own work and the opportunities he has had throughout his education in McMinnville.
“I think McMinnville does a really great job of letting you kind of play the field a little bit,” he said. “You get to try a lot of different pathways, classes, things you’re interested in, so you’re really able to hone in on what you like. So I’m really thankful for being able to try everything.”
He also credits the people who have taught him along the way.
“I think there’s also a lot of incredible teachers here that are really passionate about what they do,” Nathan said. “Passion is such an infectious thing. It’s been an amazing time.”
Logan likewise pointed to the support he has received throughout his years at MHS, from classroom instruction to navigating the National Merit process itself.
“I have had so much help from all of my teachers who have brought me up and helped me out with all the curriculum,” Logan said. “My counselor has been great in explaining to me what the stuff is, where all the materials are, how do I actually get into this process. And then, yeah, there’s just a good consistency that’s here, which helped me prep for this exam.”
That combination of student effort, strong relationships, and access to challenging learning opportunities makes having two semifinalists in the same graduating class an especially proud moment for MHS and our district.
Both students are already thinking about where their interests may take them after graduation. Logan plans to pursue physics and hopes his college experience will include an opportunity to study abroad, ideally in France. Nathan plans to study biomedical engineering, combining his interests in science, engineering, and medicine.
For Logan, academic achievement is only part of an exceptional start to his senior year. He recently returned from Paraguay as a Junior Pan American karate champion, winning the Junior Male Kumite -76 kg title while representing the United States.
For Logan and Nathan, the National Merit announcement is not the end of the process. Semifinalists must complete additional requirements to advance to finalist standing, including demonstrating a strong academic record and completing a scholarship application. Finalists will be announced in early 2027, with scholarship recipients selected later in the spring.
For now, McMinnville High School is celebrating something that has rarely happened in its history: two students, in one graduating class, earning national recognition for exceptional academic achievement.
Play the video below to hear from Logan and Nathan about this honor.