Avon Grove High School principal Tom Alexander announced on Oct. 2 that eight Avon Grove students have been named Commended Students in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Alexander presented each of the students a letter of commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program.

The students are among about 34,000 Commended Students through the country who are being recognized for their academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2015 competition by taking the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Avon Grove’s 2015 National Merit Commended Students are Joseph C. Budd, Melanie H. Cimini, Heather N. Eby, Christine R. Gerwig, Kathleen L. Oakes, Zachary M. Reger, Michael B. Strong, and Emma G. Tilton.