DSHS seniors named

National Merit semifinalists

Dripping Springs High School seniors Elliott Kling and Jackie Truesdell have been named National Merit Semifinalists based on their performances on the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT).

The 16,000 semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. About 95% of semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist standing, and roughly half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship.

Kling is a member of the Tiger Band and the Foreign Exchange Club. He serves as the clarinet section leader and is a two-time UIL State Solo & Ensemble qualifier as part of the clarinet choir. He plans to major in acoustic engineering and music technology, with hopes of attending the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Truesdell is a member of the DSHS Speech & Debate team and the National Honor Society. He was named a 2024 All-American by the National Speech & Debate Association and, as a freshman, won a state title in the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation (TAPT) School Bus Safety Speech Contest. Truesdell has twice qualified for the Texas Forensic Association (TFA) State Tournament.

To become National Merit finalists, students must maintain an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed by a school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performance on the qualifying test. Finalists will be announced in February 2025.