Veritas Academy has announced that 12th-grade student Jania Weist of Ephrata is a Semifinalist in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Students qualified for this honor based on their scores in the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), with less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors attaining Semifinalist status. As one of 16,000 Semifinalists across the nation, Jania will now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered in the spring.

Veritas head of school Ty Fischer noted that Jania has demonstrated high academic achievement, but also aims to help others succeed. She is an accomplished tennis player with Warwick High School, and she also enjoys tap dancing. Managers at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, where she has been employed since age 14, have recognized Jania's leadership qualities, and she is responsible for training other employees in many aspects of their work.

Jania plans to attend college to study business or sports management.