Seven students from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield have been named commended students in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program. They are: Megan Canny, Philip Christofanelli, Cassandra Hansen, Catherine Leatherwood, Patrick Ryan, Jennifer Vorst, and David Wasser.

Three students were also chosen as semi-finalists: Allison Midden, William Singh, and Matthew Wolfson.

A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented to the students by SHG principal Sister Margaret Joanne, OP.

About 34,000 commended students throughout the nation have been recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2008 competition for National Merit Scholarships, commended students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.4 million students who entered the 2008 competition by taking the 2006 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).