A Belleview High School senior was just awarded a 2026 National Merit Scholarship of $2,500 to help him as he studies astrophysics in college.

Patrick Liam Lucaric, a resident of Ocklawaha, was selected from a competitive pool of more than 15,000 finalists nationwide. The announcement was made by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in a press release this week. The announcement marks the second phase of winners for the 2026 program.

Lucaric’s journey toward the scholarship began in October 2024, when he and approximately 1.3 million other high school juniors took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Last September, Lucaric was one of five Marion County students initially named as semifinalists in the program.

Lucaric was joined in that distinguished group by fellow Belleview High School student Lillian S. Deese, as well as West Port High School students Isabella R. Baez and Kyle J. Curtis, and Forest High School senior Caleb J. Heinke.

Lucaric, who listed his probable career field as astrophysics, was judged by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors to have one of the strongest combinations of academic accomplishments, leadership, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

To advance to the finalist level, students had to maintain an outstanding academic record, receive a recommendation from a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirmed their performance on the qualifying test.

Lucaric’s $2,500 award is supported by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds. By the end of this year’s competition in July, approximately 6,700 “academic champions” across the country will have earned the Merit Scholar title and a share of nearly $24 million in total scholarship money.