Head of School Karl Sjolund, of St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School announced that Toby Van de Ven has been named a Commended Student in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program.

A Letter Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented by the Head of School to this scholastically talented senior.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2025 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Student placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2025 competition by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

“Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their education opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

About St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School is a private, co-educational, Episcopal, boarding and day college preparatory school serving 211 students in grades 6-12. St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School challenges its students to fulfill their greatest potential while helping them to cultivate lives of balance and joy. The school fields 25 teams in 10 sports.