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Unionville High School Celebrates Students Recognized By the National Merit Scholarship Corporation

This year, 48 members of the Unionville High School (UHS) Class of 2027 have received coveted recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). 

Among the top one percent of seniors nationwide, 17 Longhorns have been selected as Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They include Winston Cai, Alicia Chou, Emma Coutinho, Methuki Fonseka, Nathaniel Gushurst, Yuxuan He, Paridhi Jain, Aarnav Joginapally, Liam Krausz, Isabella Morina, Mia Nie, Sera Ozcan, Dominic Rayos, Timothy Sherman, Tiffany Truong, Michael Tucker, and Brendon Yu. 

Students Commended by the National Merit Scholarship Program include Lila Baichi, Cynthia Cao, Kyle Chen, Adeline Christian, Alessandra Darmo, Anna Evans, Shannon Evans, Lincoln Farkas, Varsha Gaddam, Jude Henry, Shipra Kapoor, Yao Lu, Ojas Mahale, Ameya Masuraha, Enzo Messa, Ayaan Mohapatra, Rachel Nines, Dhruv Patel, Reva Pisolkar, Ethan Ruslim, Riley Smith, Clara Stancik, Ethan Wang, Beatrice Welch, Oliver Wu, Maggie Xin, Andy Zhang, Max Zhang, Jinny Zhao, and Lulu Zhao. While students who receive Commended status will not advance in the competition, they are still considered to be among the highest-achieving seniors in the country. 

“We are incredibly proud of our students. We recognize that these achievements do not happen by accident. Our students put in a tremendous amount of hard work. And, in addition to their academic successes, these are also students of high character,” said UHS Principal Pat Crater, who also thanked the school’s dedicated educators. 

NMSC is an annual academic competition among high school students that began in 1955. U.S. students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). 

Semifinalists now have the opportunity to advance as Finalists in the competition by completing other academic requirements. In February, Finalists will receive their official Certificate of Merit before being considered for one of 7,320 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $29 million in total. 

For more information on the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit their website. 

About the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District 

The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is a high-performing public school system serving approximately 3,500 students in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The District consists of four elementary schools, one middle school and Unionville High School, consistently ranked among the top public schools in Pennsylvania.
 

Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Completes The Construction of Unionville High School’s Rooftop Solar Array

The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District (UCFSD) is one of the first in Pennsylvania to complete a solar energy system under the state’s new Solar for Schools (S4S) Grant Program. In addition to being a statewide milestone, the installation is now the second-largest rooftop solar energy system in Chester County. 

Established in 2024 by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the inaugural S4S Program awarded $22.5 million to 73 schools to help reduce the cost of implementing renewable energy.

Located on the roof of Unionville High School (UHS), the 650-kilowatt UCFSD system, built by local company Terra Sol Solar and designed by Spotts, Stevens and McCoy Group, features approximately 900 American-made solar panels. 

It is projected to produce 25 percent of UCFSD’s energy and save the District at least $75,000 annually in operating costs, a figure likely to grow as energy costs rise. 

“The solar array project is a perfect example of our district value of principled stewardship,” reflected UCFSD Superintendent Dr. Tim Hoffman. “Investing in solar ensures energy efficiency for our district. Efficiency with our resources is critical for our long-term financial health and decreases the overall burden on our tax base to keep up with rising costs.” 

State Representative Christina Sappey also emphasized the importance of this statewide initiative in protecting local communities. "Utility bills are one of the largest expenses for public schools. The 2024 Solar for Schools Grant Program was created to lower operating costs and protect local taxpayers," she added. "By completing this project, UCFSD demonstrates how state grants reduce overhead and keep district funds focused on our students."

Thanks to a combination of S4S funding, federal rebates, and PECO incentives, UCFSD’s net cost for the installation was reduced to roughly $450,000, bringing the system's return on investment to under seven years.

Other State leaders have praised the district's initiative for aligning local fiscal responsibility with broader state environmental and energy production goals.

“Using solar energy to power our schools and educational facilities is cleaner, cheaper, and it sends the message to students and families that we take sustainability seriously,” said State Senator Carolyn Comitta, Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. “UCFSD was one of three in my district to be awarded grant funding through the Pennsylvania Solar for Schools program. I’m excited to see these projects come online as we work together to reduce harmful emissions, meet our climate action goals, and save taxpayer dollars.”

“This solar array represents a forward‑looking investment in our students, our community, and our environment,” said State Senator John I. Kane. “Through the support of the Solar for Schools Grant Program, UCFSD is taking meaningful steps to reduce energy costs, model sustainability for future generations, and demonstrate what’s possible when schools have access to innovative clean‑energy funding. I am so proud to support a project that reflects such strong leadership in education and environmental stewardship.”

“For the past year, I have been sounding the alarm that our electricity supply is not keeping pace with rapidly growing demand. The answer is more generation, and Unionville-Chadds Ford is putting that principle into practice,” said State Representative Craig Williams. “This project adds 650 kilowatts of new generation right where the electricity will be consumed, reducing demand on the grid and lowering costs for district taxpayers. We need more electricity generation in Pennsylvania, and I am pleased to see UCFSD producing some of its own.”

Beyond those benefits, the system will serve as a living classroom. UCFSD will partner with high school staff this fall to integrate it into the curriculum, offering students hands-on STEM learning. 

“The panels on the roof are producing electricity for our school, but the most important thing they’ll produce is an opportunity for our students to learn about the energy systems of the future,” ended UCFSD Director of Facilities James Whitesel. 

The District will celebrate the completion of the system with a ribbon-cutting ceremony later this month. 

About the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District 

The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is a high-performing public school system serving approximately 3,500 students in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The District consists of four elementary schools, one middle school, and Unionville High School, consistently ranked among the top public schools in Pennsylvania.