Bergen County Brainpower: Mahwah and Ridgewood Students Land Prestigious National Merit Scholarships
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The road to the Ivy League and elite veterinary programs just got a little smoother for two standout Bergen County students. Last Wednesday, the National Merit Scholarship Foundation announced the first wave of 2026 winners, highlighting local talent from Mahwah and Ridgewood who have secured highly competitive corporate-sponsored awards.
Out of the thousands of high achievers who enter the program each year, these two local scholars have proven they are among the academic elite in New Jersey.
Meet the Winners: Bergen County’s Brightest
While many National Merit awards are still to be announced, the first round focuses on Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships. These are granted to finalists who meet specific criteria set by major businesses.
Aarush R. Borker | Mahwah High School
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The Award: National Merit Bristol Myers Squibb Scholarship.
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Future Plans: Aarush is headed to Columbia University this fall.
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Career Goal: Civil Engineering.
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The Sponsor: Bristol Myers Squibb, a global pharmaceutical leader, supports students demonstrating exceptional potential in STEM and professional fields.
Tashi M. Lee-Garcia | Ridgewood High School
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The Award: National Merit Insperity Scholarship.
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Future Plans: Tashi is set to study at the University of Maryland.
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Career Goal: Veterinary Medicine.
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The Sponsor: Insperity, a provider of specialized business solutions, funds scholarships for students with outstanding academic records and community involvement.
The Long Road to the Finals: How They Did It
Becoming a National Merit Scholar isn’t an overnight achievement. For Aarush and Tashi, this journey began in the 10th grade:
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The PSAT: It starts with a top-tier score on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
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The Semifinals: Each September, the highest-scoring students are named Semifinalists.
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The Rigorous Climb: To become a Finalist, students must submit a detailed scholarship application, maintain an outstanding academic record, receive a school recommendation, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their PSAT performance.
More Winners on the Horizon
If your favorite local student hasn’t appeared on the list yet, don’t worry! This corporate-sponsored wave is just the beginning. The National Merit Scholarship Foundation will release several more “waves” of winners throughout the spring and summer, including:
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National Merit $2,500 Scholarships
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College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships
Stay tuned to see which other North Jersey students make the grade!
- Tags: #BergenCounty #MahwahNJ #RidgewoodNJ #NationalMerit #EducationNews #StudentSuccess #STEM #VeterinaryMedicine
