A Mid-Prairie junior is one of 16,000 semifinalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Eryk Hovde is the lone student in Washington County who is a semifinalist in this program and looks to be one of 15,000 who make it to the finalist level. If Hovde becomes a finalist, he will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation also provides finalists opportunities to win 1,000 corporate-based scholarships and some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit scholarships awards. The 2021 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in the spring.