Long Beach High School senior Alexandra (Ali) Thursland has been selected to receive a scholarship from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Ali reached this level of distinction in the 62nd Annual National Merit Scholarship Program after many steps, which included recognition as a semifinalist this past fall and then a finalist in the winter.

This success was achieved based on academic excellence and outstanding PSAT and SAT scores. An estimated 1.6 million students from across the nation entered the initial competition by taking the PSAT, which serves as a qualifying test each year. Approximately 16,000 of them earned recognition as Finalists, and about 7,500 National Merit Scholarships are being presented.

Ali is an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate focusing her extended essay on “How does Vladimir Nabokov's manipulation of language in Lolita mask Humbert Humbert's nefarious deeds?” She is president of Model Congress, a National Honor Society member and a student government participant. She serves as editor for the Fragments literary magazine and also participates in the high school’s Talented Writer’s program, through which she has earned awards. Also a musician and athlete, Ali plays the trumpet, piano and ukulele and has participated on the junior varsity tennis and track and field teams in previous years. She will attend Duke University in the fall.