Cascade High School Student named National Merit Scholar semifinalist

Caroline Menna

LEAVENWORTH – Cascade High School student Caroline Menna was named a 2025 National Merit Scholar semifinalist, representing North Central Washington as the only semifinalist in the region.

“I'm really honored to be named a semifinalist. I'm just super honored to represent my school, my area,” said Menna.

Menna joins over 300 students across Washington state who achieved the highest scores on the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), qualifying them to compete in the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's annual scholarship competition.

Out of over three million students who take the PSAT/NMSQT in their junior year, only about 1.3 million meet the requirements to enter the competition, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation website. Of those participants, only about 16,000 are named semifinalists.

Throughout her academic career, Menna has been both challenged and supported by her parents, sister, and teachers to pursue her endeavors and strive for excellence. In addition to standard classes, Menna has taken online classes and completed additional coursework outside of school to make the most out of her education. 

“Caroline combines a natural giftedness with a strong work ethic, high level of professionalism, dedication to her personal dreams, and a proactive approach to education. She is also personable and able to manage a team with grace,” wrote Roselyn Robison, Menna’s English and Publications teacher, in an email to Ward Media. 

As a four-year member of the CHS Publications team and this year's Editor-In-Chief, Menna “regularly requests to cover stories that require extensive investigation and explore systemic needs for change in our small community,” said Robison. 

Menna's ambition reaches far beyond high school publications. As a Ward Media intern, she has covered significant community issues for The Leavenworth Echo, including the history and uncertain future of the fruit industry, the "Upper Valley Cross," and the 30th anniversary of the 1994 fires.

Menna is also president emeritus of the Sustainability Club, where she works with the local nonprofit Waste Loop to improve sustainability practices within the high school and throughout town.

Outside of extracurriculars, Menna has been proactive in her community. For instance, she helped develop an outreach program with her ski team to improve the sport’s accessibility to Hispanic families in the region, and started a food program for underprivileged students over school breaks with her family.

“I try to be as involved in my community as possible, because this community has helped me so so much, and I want to try to give back a little bit,” said Menna.

Looking beyond her senior year, Menna is interested in pursuing science communication, where she can continue writing while sharing important scientific developments, particularly in rural areas.

“I feel like I've seen firsthand, especially during the pandemic, what misinformation or lack of information does to communities, and I'd like to be a part of changing that,” said Menna.

About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to be named finalists in February. First, students must provide information about their academic record and extracurricular activities, write an essay, and earn an SAT or ACT score that confirms their PSAT performance. Finalists will be eligible for 6,870 scholarships worth nearly $26 million.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media