Notre Dame seniors Matthew Austin and Peter Dittmer were named National Merit Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

During their junior year, Austin and Dittmer took the PSAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test along with 1.3 million other juniors across the country. Austin and Dittmer were some of the highest-scoring entrants in the state of Missouri, earning them the distinction of a National Merit Semifinalist. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.

In February of 2025, Semifinalists will be notified if they’ve advanced to the Finalist level, and National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group beginning in April. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skill, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Austin is the son of Sam and Caroline Austin of Cape Girardeau. Dittmer is the son of Christopher and Natalie Dittmer of Gordonville. Congratulations to Matthew and Peter!