Nearly 80 Arizona high-school seniors named Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists

January 12, 2021

By Matt Ellsworth

Almost 80 of Arizona’s highest-performing high-school seniors have advanced to become Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists, an elite honor for students vying for the prestigious merit-based scholarship.

The students, who make up the top 8% of the applicant pool, attend a range of rural and urban schools, including district, charter, and private schools—and even one online academy.

By virtue of reaching this state in the Flinn Scholarship selection process, the Class of 2021 Semifinalists qualify for a specially designated scholarship from Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, or the University of Arizona. 

“Our Semifinalists are an impressive, diverse group of student leaders representing nearly every county in Arizona, from almost the smallest to the very largest high schools,” said Anne Lassen, Flinn Foundation vice president of scholarship and education initiatives. “While not all can ultimately be selected as Flinn Scholars, I am confident that this group is bound for success. And I’m thrilled they are all eligible for generous scholarships from our outstanding universities.”

The 78 Semifinalists will be interviewed by three-person panels later this month. Following the Semifinalist interviews, about 40 Flinn Scholarship Finalists will advance to an interview in March with the five-person Selection Committee, which chooses approximately 20 students for the Flinn Scholarship.

The Flinn Foundation will announce the Flinn Scholars Class of 2021 in April.

The Flinn Scholars Program received 951 applications for the 2021 scholarship from 209 high schools and 73 cities and towns in 13 of the 15 Arizona counties. About two-thirds of the Semifinalists are from the Phoenix metropolitan area.

At any one time, about 80 current Flinn Scholars attend the Honors colleges of the state’s three public universities. The Flinn Scholarship, which includes funding for tuition, housing, meals, and study abroad, is valued at more than $120,000.

The Class of 2021 Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists are:

Maleka Abdi, Desert View High School, Tucson
Hanaan Abdulle, Highland High School, Gilbert
Parris Adams, Page High School, Page
Benny Aguilar, Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix
Alysia Aguirre, Arizona Lutheran Academy, Phoenix
Anika Attaluri, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Avaneesh Bellampalli, Basis Ahwatukee, Gilbert
Nikita Bharati, Chandler Online Academy, Chandler
Grace Brinker, Trivium Preparatory Academy, Goodyear
Ivan Carrillo, Nogales High School, Rio Rico
Evan Chaparro, Vista Grande High School, Casa Grande
Kiera Charley, Navajo Preparatory School, Chinle
Arden Cherry, Prescott High School, Prescott
Viveka Chinnasamy, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Erin Choi, Campo Verde High School, Gilbert
Aislinn Conner, Desert Vista High School, Phoenix
Isabella Constante, Sedona Red Rock High School, Sedona
Cassandra Coppo, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy, Scottsdale
Alyssa Cortez, Bioscience High School, Phoenix
Aashika Desai, Paradise Valley High School, Phoenix
Abhi Desai, Pinnacle High School, Phoenix
Merlin D’souza, Casa Grande Union High School, Casa Grande
Airen Fortunato, Maricopa High School, Maricopa
Santino Guerra, Estrella Foothills High School, Goodyear
Sophia Hammer, Gilbert Classical Academy High School, Gilbert
Manvi Harde, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Simona Hausleitner, Basis Phoenix, Scottsdale
Ivan Hernandez, Maricopa Institute of Technology, Phoenix
Mia Hernandez, Amphitheater High School, Tucson
Jordyn Hitzeman, Basis Ahwatukee, Phoenix
Bekah James, Blue Ridge High School, Pinetop-Lakeside
Brinlee Kidd, Bradshaw Mountain High School, Dewey-Humboldt
Brynn Kramer, Pinnacle High School, Scottsdale
Olivier Lafontant-Joseph, Basis Mesa, Mesa
Ananya Lakhotia, Arizona College Prep Erie Campus, Chandler
Makenna Ley, University High School, Tucson
Sylvia Lopez, Liberty High School, Peoria
Sakina Lord, Bioscience High School, Phoenix
Carol Lu, University High School, Tucson
Madelynn Mac Donald, Mohave High School, Bullhead City
Ariella Mandel, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy, Scottsdale
Jack Mao, Basha High School, Chandler
Jimena Marquez, Salpointe Catholic High School, Tucson
Aryan Mathur, Chandler High School, Gilbert
Nainika Menakuru, Empire High School, Tucson
Alexandra Meng, Chaparral High School, Scottsdale
Clara Moffitt, Tempe Preparatory Academy, Tempe
Kacy Molar, Ray High School, Kearny
Alissa Morales, ASU Preparatory Academy – Digital, Glendale
Abby Noel, Verrado High School, Goodyear
Jasmine Norris, Dobson High School, Chandler
Liane Ozoemelam, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Brenda Padilla, Desert View High School, Tucson
Pari Patel, Ironwood Ridge High School, Tucson
Carlos Quintero, Corona Del Sol High School, Tempe
Riley Reynolds, Basis Tucson North, Tucson
Ike Root, Highland High School, Gilbert
Max Rubin-Toles, Catalina Foothills High School, Tucson
Surabhi Sajith, Basis Ahwatukee, Tempe
Ria Saraswat, Sandra Day O’Connor High School, Phoenix
Purvi Sehgal, Basis Chandler, Chandler
Rishita Shah, Xavier College Preparatory, Scottsdale
Naomi Solomon, Basis Phoenix, Phoenix
Maya Steinberg, Tempe High School, Tempe
Mikayla Tang, Greenway High School, Phoenix
Josh Tint, Catalina Foothills High School, Tucson
Matthew Torel, Hamilton High School, Gilbert
Eugenia Trakal, Gilbert Classical Academy High School, Gilbert
Jennifer Tran, Mesquite High School, Gilbert
Sarah Turner, University High School, Tucson
Netia Unger, Westview High School, Goodyear
Katrina Vollmer, Flagstaff High School, Flagstaff
Shirley Wang, Desert Vista High School, Phoenix
Bella Wexler, Catalina Foothills High School, Tucson
Bryce Wilson, Westwood High School, Mesa
Tyler Wright, Tempe High School, Tempe
Mitch Zakocs, Mountain Pointe High School, Phoenix
David Zaragoza, Gila Ridge High School, Yuma