10 Tomball ISD Students Named National Merit Finalists

TOMBALL - 10 Tomball ISD students, representing Tomball High School and Tomball Memorial High School, were recognized among the nation’s elite as Finalists of the National Merit Scholarship Program in 2026.

Congratulations to these 10 distinguished students for their outstanding work in the classroom and beyond.

TOMBALL HIGH SCHOOL

• Daniel Hoffmaster
• Nathaniel Larimore
• Siddarth Mannepalli
• Arav Mehta
• Lilian Theobald

TOMBALL MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL

• Priyadarsan Aravinthkumar
• Jonathan Estill
• James Fordyce
• Kayden Gibson
• William Thomas

They are among the top 1% of academically talented high school seniors from across the country who are in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be awarded in the spring.

High school students enter the program by taking the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test that serves as an initial screen of about 1.6 million entrants each year.

National Merit Finalists are selected based on their exceptional abilities, skills and accomplishments, and are highly recruited by selective colleges across the nation with some colleges and universities offering significant scholarships or even full-rides based on National Merit status.

ABOUT TOMBALL ISD
Tomball ISD empowers students to become impactful, contributing citizens by providing innovative, individually rigorous and personally valuable educational experiences while partnering with the community. Founded in 1908, Tomball ISD now encompasses 83 square miles in northwest Harris County and southwest Montgomery County, and is located approximately 30 miles from downtown Houston. The district currently educates over 23,000 students across 25 campuses.