Eastside Catholic is delighted to announce senior Om Sareen has been awarded a National Merit Scholarship, one of the nation’s highest academic honors for high school students. After advancing through the highly selective National Merit Scholarship Program as a Semifinalist and Finalist, Om was selected as a National Merit Scholar and National Merit Scholarship recipient. Om joins approximately 6,870 National Merit Scholarhsip recipients nationwaide.

High School Principal Soonja Larsen praised Om’s achievement: “We could not be prouder of Om winning the National Merit Scholarship. This is an incredible honor, and Om has worked extremely hard to earn this scholarship, moving through a multi-tiered, selective process of becoming a Commended Student, to a Semi-Finalist, Finalist and now winner and recipient of the National Merit Scholarship. Om has a bright future and we have no doubt that he will go on to do great things after his time at EC. Congratulations, Om!”

As a National Merit Scholar, Om is among a select group of students chosen from more than 15,000 finalists to receive scholarships collectively worth approximately $17 million.

“I’m so glad to have been recognized for this award at a national level, but I also believe that the PSAT is not an end-all-be-all,” Om said. “There are different priorities, and so while I’m super glad to have received this award, it’s also equally important to strive for excellence in other areas.”

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a highly competitive academic recognition, with more than 1.3 million students qualifying by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. From this group, semifinalists—representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors—advance based on top scores in each state, with finalists selected for their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Scholarship recipients are then chosen from this distinguished group.

Eastside Catholic is especially proud to note that Om is also a graduate of its middle school, reflecting the strength of its comprehensive educational program. He recently shared his future goals and offered thoughtful advice for younger students.

Om Sareen plans to pursue pre-medicine in college, eventually combining his passion for biology and chemistry in medical school. He advises underclassmen, “Explore around, talk to people and do activities that you’re passionate about. If you do an activity specifically for a college application, you'll be miserable. Of course, don’t do nothing. Take hard classes because they help you learn, not because they look good on a transcript. Do an activity because you’re genuinely interested in it. Volunteer to see how others live their lives. If you follow these steps, you'll grow your college application just fine while being happy while doing it.”

Eastside Catholic School commends Om for his remarkable achievement. His success is a testament to his dedication and hard work, and to the supportive and nurturing environment that Eastside Catholic fosters for all students.