Menlo-Atherton High School seniors Chris Iyer (pictured left) and Maanek Sehgal both received $2,500 National Merit scholarships. They were among 2,500 Merit Scholar designees nationwide chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Maanek plans on attending UCLA to study Computer Science and Engineering. Outside of the classroom, he is the captain of M-A’s debate team, the president of his high school’s Junior State of America chapter, and plays badminton for M-A.
He is also interested in epidemiology and health outcomes, and has done research on osteoporotic hip fracture hospitalization trends. He enjoys playing tennis and listening to NPR in his free time.
Chris will attend Stanford University in the fall. He is considering a major in neuroscience, after an engaging summer working at the Krubitzer Lab as part of the U.C. Davis Young Scholars Program.
He also has a passion for jazz trumpet, playing in M-A’s jazz band and combo, and also with a small combo of friends, called “The Blues by Five,” that practices in his garage and performs locally. [Note: InMenlo has covered “The Blues by Five previously; they’ll be playing their “final final” gig at Freewheel Brewery this Saturday.]
Chris plays varsity tennis for M-A, cheers wildly at M-A volleyball and soccer games, and enjoys playing ultimate frisbee on the side.