Amanda Bolton ’25 Named National Merit Finalist

Congratulations to Amanda Bolton ’25, who has been named a National Merit Finalist in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program! Amanda is the daughter of Nicole and Aaron Bolton of Sartell. She is the sister of Matthew ’22 and Sarah ’25 Bolton. Amanda has attended Saint John’s Prep since sixth grade.

This fall Amanda first earned recognition as a semifinalist, placing among the top 16,000 students nationwide. Now, as one of 15,000 finalists, she is in the running for one of the prestigious National Merit Scholarships.

Earning the title of National Merit Finalist places a student among the top score earners in the country on the PSAT test, representing less than one percent of graduating seniors. Finalists must also have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, and be endorsed and recommended by their school’s principal. Amanda advanced after submitting an application which included her academic record and a listing of her participation in school and community activities.

Amanda is co-captain of the soccer and basketball teams and competes with the Prep varsity track and field team. Her other leadership positions include National Honor Society service committee chair, German Club co-president, and team lead in the junior volunteer program at St. Cloud Hospital. She is also a member of the Mock Trial and Envirothon teams and works at The Good Shepherd Community as a certified nursing assistant.

Amanda’s future plans include studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) in college. Her long-term goal is to attend medical school and become a pediatric dermatologist. 

She’s grateful to be a Saint John’s Prep student because of the small class sizes. “At Prep, the small student-to-faculty ratio allows me to excel in school because of the personalized attention from teachers and their ability to adapt their pace to the class’s needs.”

The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)–a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year–and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.

Congratulations Amanda!

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Seniors Evan Danielson ‘24 and Patrick Duffy ’24 are finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They are now among the 15,000 high school seniors from throughout the nation competing for approximately 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million.

Last fall, Patrick and Evan received recognition as semifinalists from the National Merit Scholarship Program by being  among the top scorers of the PSAT/NMSQT® in the United States and Minnesota.

To become National Merit Finalists, Patrick and Evan submitted detailed applications that included information about their academic records,  school and community activities, leadership abilities and honors and awards. More than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. They will find out if they are National Merit Scholars later this spring.

Evan is the son of Michele and Nathan Danielson of Sartell. He is the brother of Caiden ’29 and Elise ‘31. Evan is captain of the boys’ soccer team, a member of the National Honor Society and a Writing Center peer tutor. Evan is also a member of the track and basketball teams. Outside of school, Evan is a member and altar server for St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Evan is looking forward to exploring an engineering or a computer science major in college. 

Patrick is the son of Megan and Brendon Duffy of Cold Spring. He is the brother of Clare ’22 and Margaret ’27. Patrick is student council president and a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and the state Envirothon team. He is a percussionist with the Saint John’s Prep band, orchestra, and pianist who has received state honors. Outside of school Patrick is a volunteer at St. Cloud Hospital and a peer ministry leader at St. Boniface Catholic Church. Patrick plans to study economics, environmental science, and mathematics in college.

The National Merit^® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)–a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year–and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.

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