PHOTO COURTESY OF DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD

Dripping Springs High School seniors Elliott Kling and Jackie Truesdell have been named National Merit Semifinalists based on their performances on the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT).

The 16,000 semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors; about 95% of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, according to a Dripping Springs ISD news release.

Kling is a member of the Tiger Band and the Foreign Exchange Club. He is the clarinet section leader and a twotime UIL State Solo & Ensemble qualifier as part of the clarinet choir. He plans to major in acoustic engineering and music technology, with aspirations to attend his dream school, the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Truesdell is a member of the DSHS Speech & Debate team and the National Honor Society. He was named a 2024 All-American by the National Speech & Debate Association and, as a freshman, he captured a state title in the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation (TAPT) School Bus Safety Speech Contest. Truesdell has also advanced twice to the Texas Forensic Association (TFA) State Tournament.

To become a National Merit Finalist, students must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Finalists will be announced in February 2025.