Kaia Georges Named National Merit® Commended Student

​Delano—Delano Public Schools senior Kaia Georges recently received the title of Commended Student in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.

High school principal Barry Voight presented the Letter of Commendation from the school as well as the National Merit Scholarship to Georges. She is one of roughly 34,000 commended students throughout the nation being recognized for their academic accolades.

While Georges may not be continuing in the competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, she did place among the top 50,000 students who entered the competition through taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“Those being named commended students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” a spokesperson for NMSC said in a release from the district. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

Kaia will be recognized at the Senior Awards ceremony in the spring. Congratulations Kaia.