The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced Wednesday that Jackson Academy seniors Morgan Cheatham and Crystal Gao are semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. “Jackson Academy is thrilled that Morgan and Crystal are being recognized. For many years, they have represented the best of Jackson Academy in the classroom and the greater community,” said Head of Upper School Kyle Nichols. “As long as they have attended JA, these students, their families, and Jackson Academy have partnered to foster their pursuit of excellence.”
In 2024, Morgan and Crystal were among the more than 1.3 million juniors who entered the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. This test is the first screen to determine which students will compete for designation as National Merit Finalists. The semifinalists announced nationwide make up less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and include the highest scoring students in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
The semifinalist designation is a great reward for years of hard work. These academically talented students have thoroughly embraced many opportunities available at JA. Whether it’s a math competition, a service project, or a challenging AP class, Morgan and Crystal are always up for a new challenge.
Morgan and Crystal now compete for the National Merit Finalist title and scholarship. They will collaborate with faculty to complete a detailed application exploring their academic record, involvement, leadership, and honors and awards received. The results will be announced toward the end of the academic year. Congratulations, Morgan and Crystal!
Morgan Cheatham
A heart for service typifies National Merit Semifinalist Morgan Cheatham’s activities, yet that does not affect her ability to manage a robust academic load. She is taking AP Statistics, AP Physics 1, AP English Literature & Composition, AP Art, and Spanish V during her senior year and has received AP Scholar with Distinction for her past AP scores.
Morgan envisions a career in healthcare. She has gained first-hand experience as a hospital volunteer, where she works to create a warm and welcoming environment for patients and families and uses her organizational gifts at different wings of the facility. Morgan assists Cancer Kids First of Mississippi in statewide events and fundraisers supporting pediatric cancer patients worldwide and founded Cancer Kids First of Jackson Academy. Her volunteer work includes tutoring students across Mississippi privately, advocating for the environment and its sustainability through her chapter of the Junior Philanthropists Foundation, promoting progressive health policy with the national nonprofit Nightingale Advocacy as one of their national Engagement Executives, and aiding the Mississippi Children’s Museum in day-to-day operations and exhibits. For the museum, she serves on the President’s Leadership Circle.
She participated in the Jackson Heart Study’s Science, Language Arts, & Mathematics Workshop, earning first place in statistics and literature. The Cum Laude Society inductee was chosen as a 2025 MITES Semester student, a program where she gained computer science and logical mathematics skills as well as the top award of her mathematical class for her research in Chaos Theory through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She’s part of Mu Alpha Theta and the Spanish Honor Society, and has led the competition teams at Mu Alpha Theta state competitions as the honor society’s co-president. Morgan also serves as one of the District IV governors for the state chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, assisting officers and teachers from local schools with planning the state competition.
Crystal Gao
During Mu Alpha Theta state convention in 2024, National Merit Semifinalist Crystal Gao contributed a unique, math-focused piece of art to the competition. She won first place in the Banner Competition while also placing in other team and individual events. Math is just one of the many areas of excellence this versatile senior exhibits.
This academic all-star is also known for initiating service opportunities for herself and her classmates. She founded the Beacon Mental Wellness Club, which she serves as president, to advocate for mental health. She is also the Editor in Chief for JA’s student newspaper, The Chronicle. She tutors with the student-led non-profit Educator Matters, which she serves as the Marketing Director, and she works as a blog writer for the Nightingale Advocacy while also serving as the vice president of its Gluckstadt chapter. She frequently volunteers at UMMC in the Adult Emergency Room and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and she serves the elderly by volunteering in the Memory Care Unit of St. Catherine’s Village, the disadvantaged by working in the after-school program of MadCAAP, and children as a Canopy Children’s Solutions student ambassador.
Her long-term goal is to enter medical school and earn both an M.D. and a Ph.D. Crystal has been inducted into numerous honor societies, such as the Cum Laude Society and Mu Alpha Theta, which she serves as co-president for the JA chapter. She has earned several academic awards, and been invited to represent JA as a state and national youth delegate at prestigious summits and events.
