The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and The Harker School of San Jose awarded a $1,000 Presidential Freedom Scholarship to Arjun Naskar, a resident of Los Altos and 2005 graduate. The award acknowledges Naskar’s outstanding commitment to public service, most notably his volunteer work with Stanford Hospital and Mother Teresa’s Missions of Charity.

Erik Hansen, a resident of Los Altos, is enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University for the 2005-2006 academic year.

The 2006 National Merit Scholarship Program has named the following St. Francis High School seniors semifinalists: Daniel Crowley, Cynthia Curley, Thomas G. Evans, Alexander Holland, Eric Johnson, Kevin Kang, Brian Lai, Jessica Lu, Lukas Martincik, Elizabeth Niemeyer, Claire Perkins, Melissa Tran and Alice Wang.

Semifinalists are those who score highest in each state and represent the top 1 percent of California’s high school graduating seniors. The semifinalists have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $33 million, offered next spring.