The Flinn Scholars Program has named 80 of Arizona’s highest-achieving high-school seniors as Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists, advancing them in a process toward the state’s most prestigious merit-based scholarship.
The 80 Semifinalists were selected from a record total of nearly 1,100 applications, representing both urban and rural Arizona cities and towns and a diverse pool of traditional public, charter, and private schools.
The Semifinalists, who were notified Wednesday, will participate in interviews on Dec. 8 and 9. Approximately 40 Flinn Scholarship Finalists will be selected from this group to interview in March with a five-person Selection Committee, which will choose the 20 students in the Flinn Scholars Class of 2022.
Under an agreement among Arizona’s public universities, students named Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists qualify for a specially designated scholarship from Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, or the University of Arizona.
“The Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists should be incredibly proud to advance to this stage in our process. These students are not only gifted academically but impressed our reviewers with their dedication to service and leadership in their schools and communities,” said Anne Lassen, Flinn Foundation vice president of scholarship and education initiatives.
“The future is bright for all of these seniors, and equally so for the universities they will choose,” Lassen added. “We’re grateful that our university partners are offering generous awards to help those Semifinalists who do not eventually become Flinn Scholars to stay here in Arizona.”
At any one time, about 80 current Flinn Scholars attend the Honors colleges of the state’s three public universities. The Flinn Scholarship, which includes funding for tuition, housing, meals, and study abroad, is valued at more than $130,000.
The Flinn Foundation in April will announce the Flinn Scholars Class of 2022.
The Class of 2022 Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists, including high school and city of residence, are:
Nishat Ahmed, Tempe Preparatory Academy, Phoenix
Mareem Almosawi, Ironwood High School, Glendale
Anokh Ambadipudi, Basha High School, Chandler
Zachary Astrowsky, Chaparral High School, Scottsdale
Neha Badhwar, Barry Goldwater High School, Phoenix
Neha Basu, BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale
Astrid Bell, Northland Preparatory Academy, Flagstaff
Katelyn Sarah Cai, BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale
Henry Calkins, Sunnyslope High School, Phoenix
Andrew Cervantes, River Valley High School, Mohave Valley
Reva Chaudhry, BASIS Ahwatukee, Phoenix
Diego Chavez, Santa Cruz Valley Union High School, Eloy
Sohan Chollera, University High School–Tolleson, Avondale
Karasi Colter, Betty Fairfax High School, Phoenix
Alicia Salazar Contreras, Cholla High Magnet School, Tucson
Loralei Cook, Arizona Connections Academy, Chandler
Portia Cooper, Sequoia Choice Arizona Distance Learning, Tucson
Nathaniel Cross, Catalina Foothills High School, Tucson
Lindsay Davis, Estrella Foothills High School, Goodyear
Jordan Davis-Wiley, North High School, Phoenix
Emily Delabarra, Gilbert High School, Mesa
Kaya Dickson, Page High School, Page
Gina Durazo, BASIS Tucson North, Tucson
Yaritza Durazo, Sunnyside High School, Tucson
Sara Enright, Red Mountain High School, Mesa
Autumn Fairbanks, Skyline High School, Mesa
Ella Hamer, BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale
Aiden Harper, Flagstaff High School, Flagstaff
Dylan Hellbusch, Catalina Foothills High School, Tucson
Aaron Hilton, Skyline High School, Gilbert
Isaac Kan, Desert Vista High School, Chandler
Mars Kapadia, Gilbert Classical Academy, Gilbert
Kayla King, Chandler High School, Chandler
Simone Cawthorne King, Chandler High School, Chandler
Natasha Kiriluk, Westwood High School, Mesa
Senou Kounouho, BASIS Peoria, Phoenix
Sheena Kroodsma, Sunnyslope High School, Phoenix
Jamie Ledbetter, Sonoran Science Academy-Tucson, Tucson
Hannah Lennon, Bradshaw Mountain High School, Dewey-Humboldt
Denisea Lovato, Moon Valley High School, Phoenix
Tiffany Luu, Canyon Del Oro High School, Tucson
Moira MacCatherine, Perry High School, Chandler
Simra Maheen, BASIS Phoenix, Phoenix
Elisa Mata, Casteel High School, San Tan Valley
Karah Mayer, Tanque Verde High School, Tucson
Sophia Michel, Douglas High School, Douglas
Betzaida Molina, Casa Grande Union High School, Casa Grande
Kaliyah Montanez-Woods, Tempe High School, Tempe
Roosevelt Moore, ASU Preparatory Academy-Polytechnic High School, Mesa
Clara Isabella Munguia, Casa Grande Union High School, Casa Grande
Samantha Munoz, Bioscience High School, Phoenix
Salil Naik, Mountain Ridge High School, Glendale
Desiree Nguyen, Barry Goldwater High School, Phoenix
Jadyn Ocampo, Basha High School, Gilbert
Mia Osmonbekov, BASIS Flagstaff, Flagstaff
Lydia Pastore, Red Mountain High School, Mesa
Sebastian Pastrana, Chandler Preparatory Academy, Chandler
Elisabeth Pendergrass, BASIS Mesa, Mesa
Shruti Ramkumar, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Riley Rane, BASIS Scottsdale, Phoenix
Danica Rauch, Red Mountain High School, Mesa
Bradley Reece, Faith Christian School, Mesa
Lia Arencibia Rodriguez, Moon Valley High School, Phoenix
Isabel Ross, Cienega High School, Tucson
Rebeca Salas, Desert Vista High School, Phoenix
Lauren Salaz, Betty Fairfax High School, Phoenix
Stella Salmon, University High School-Tucson, Tucson
Oscar Landa Samano, Coconino High School, Flagstaff
Illiana Samorano, San Miguel High School, Tucson
Niat Solomon, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy, Phoenix
Yeju Srivastava, Desert Mountain High School, Scottsdale
Louise Taylor, Sedona Red Rock High School, Sedona
Harrison Thomma, Bioscience High School, Phoenix
Ezri Tyler, Sunnyslope High School, Phoenix
Antonio Vega, Pueblo High Magnet School, Tucson
Gabriel Vollaire, Mohave High School, Fort Mohave
Noah Wellman, Catalina Foothills High School, Tucson
Julia Whitson, Cibola High School, Yuma
Audrey Ann Wood, Seton Catholic High School, Chandler
Charles Zhang, Hamilton High School, Gilbert