Less than a month after graduating from Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School, Madison Dolan has made history.
On June 3, Dolan was recognized as a winner of a National Merit Scholarship – the first winner from Lakeland Collegiate. Of the 1.3 million students who entered the program, less than 7,000 received National Merit Scholarships.
Nearly $24 million in scholarship funds have been awarded to the winners for undergraduate study. Dolan was among 16,000 semifinalists in the fall and recognized as a finalist during the Spring 2026 Semester.
National Merit Scholars must have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed by a school official and perform well on the ACT and/or SAT. They are also required to write an essay…