Thursday, October 1, 2026
Enrique Myftaraj, a senior at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square, has been named a semifinalist in the prestigious 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, earning recognition for outstanding academic achievement.
Myftaraj discovered that his hard work had paid off when he recently was summoned to the high school’s main office, where his counselor and the chairperson of the guidance office were waiting to break the exciting news to him.
“It was a very humbling thing because I knew that I did very well, but I didn’t realize that I had done that well, like well enough to be nationally recognized,” Myftaraj said. “And I felt it was a moment where I kind of was able to look back on when I didn’t like realize how important it was.”
Myftaraj was among more than 16,000 students nationwide named semifinalists this year, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors who were selected based on their performance on the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
For Myftaraj, the recognition reflects years of pushing himself in the classroom, taking on leadership roles and learning from the times when things did not go as planned.
He has been involved in student government since seventh grade and now serves as president. Throughout his time at Carey, he has taken on leadership positions and made an effort to be part of the school community, whether through attending events, working with classmates or getting to know his teachers.
He approaches academics in much the same way. When he struggles, he said, he tries to use it as motivation rather than allow it to discourage him.
“I think that the times where I haven’t done well have only driven me to want to do better, to want to achieve the best that I can, to achieve what I know that I can,” he said. “I think that any time that I’ve been challenged has helped me. It’s kind of motivated me to just do better.”
Christopher Posillico, who taught Myftaraj in Algebra I in eighth grade and precalculus during his junior year, has seen that determination firsthand.
Posillico said Myftaraj is the type of student who does not stop when he arrives at an answer, but also wants to understand why it’s the answer, what could change it and what else he can learn.
“He is always still looking for what else he can learn about things,” Posillico said. “So that just sets him apart.”
That curiosity is also part of what makes Myftaraj a valuable classmate, Posillico said. During group work, his teacher often places him with students who need additional help because he knows Myftaraj will take the time to explain something and make sure they understand it.
“He’s a great teacher himself,” Posillico said.
Myftaraj’s National Merit application also gave him an opportunity to reflect on challenges outside the classroom. In his essay, he wrote about a difficult experience with friends that left him feeling isolated. Looking back, he said, the experience taught him about humility, perseverance and not taking relationships for granted.
Those lessons have shaped how he defines success.
For Myftaraj, success is not simply about earning good grades or receiving awards, but it’s also about becoming the best version of himself while helping other people find happiness, enjoy life, and work toward their own goals.
Carey’s principal, Jennifer Alaimo, said Myftaraj has represented the high school well through both his academic accomplishments and his commitment to the school community.
“Being named a College Board National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist is an extraordinary achievement and a tremendous source of pride for our entire school community,” Alaimo wrote. “This prestigious recognition reflects not only Enrik’s exceptional academic ability, but also an unwavering commitment to excellence, determination, and hard work.
“Enrik has distinguished himself as an outstanding scholar and a wonderful representative of H. Frank Carey High School,” the principal added. “We are incredibly proud to celebrate this well-deserved accomplishment and look forward to all that Enrik will achieve in the future.”
Myftaraj is now completing the next stage of the National Merit process, which includes submitting information about his academic record, activities, leadership, honors and awards, along with an essay and qualifying SAT or ACT score.
He expressed confidence about becoming a finalist, but his ambitions extend well beyond the scholarship.
After he graduates from Carey, Myftaraj said he hopes to attend college and pursue astrophysics. His interest in the field comes from a curiosity he has held for years about space and the universe.
