A handful of Granite District high schoolers are part of a select group of students nationwide who were named National Merit Scholarship finalists.

The program is a competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. Students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Earlier this year, about 15,000 students nationwide qualified as semifinalists in the program. Winners are chosen based on abilities, skills and accomplishments, and are awarded thousands of dollars in scholarship money.

Here are Granite’s 2015 National Merit Scholarship Finalists:

Clayton Allred, Hunter High
Robert Buckley, Skyline High
Katharine Davidson, Skyline High
Olivia Dennis, Skyline High
Jacob Esplin, Skyline High
Matt Finlayson, Olympus High
Alexander Fritz, Skyline High
Lea Karabegovic, Skyline High
Andrew Kjar, Kearns High
Hans Lehnardt, Skyline High
Austin McDowell, Skyline High
Jordan Miles, Hunter High
Eden Peterson, Skyline High
Alexandra Richey, Skyline High
Nathan Schwartz, Cottonwood High
Ian Shen, Skyline High
Zachary Vayo, Skyline High