WPS Student Named Commended in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program
Berlin, MD – Head of School Dr. Betsy Hornung from Worcester Preparatory School (WPS) has announced that senior Ronen Poddar of Ocean Pines, Maryland, has been named a Commended Student in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC).
Approximately 34,000 Commended Students across the country are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2027 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students are among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2026 competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
Poddar has distinguished himself academically and through an impressive range of leadership and service activities. He has earned a 101.25 weighted GPA while completing a rigorous schedule that includes AP Statistics, AP Physics, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Government, Honors French IV, and Introduction to Engineering Design.
A dedicated public servant, Poddar is a Firefighter I-certified Cadet Firefighter with the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department, where he has completed more than 135 hours of training and responds to emergency calls alongside fire crews. He also serves as a Cadet Second Lieutenant with Civil Air Patrol's Wicomico Composite Squadron, where he leads cadets and has spearheaded the squadron's American Rocketry Challenge team.
Poddar has earned recognition for his legal and civic interests as Lead Defense Attorney on Worcester Preparatory School's Mock Trial Team. In 2025, the team was a Maryland finalist, placing among the top two of 142 schools after presenting before the Maryland Supreme Court. He further explored the legal profession through internships with Wicomico County Circuit Court and Cockey, Brennan & Maloney, P.C., gaining experience in court proceedings, legal research, and case preparation.
At WPS, Poddar serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Beak Speaks, the school's student newspaper, where he leads production and mentors younger students. He has also served as a Class President and Student Government representative, helping organize school initiatives and raise more than $5,000 through student-led fundraisers. In addition, he tutors students in SAT Math and Algebra and is a member of the WPS Varsity Tennis Team, including the school's 2024 ESIAC Conference championship team.
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 340 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation's scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence. For more information, visit www.nationalmerit.org.
Founded in 1970, WPS is a private, independent Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 School, located in Berlin, Maryland. Approximately 500 students attend from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. For more information about WPS, please visit www.worcesterprep.org or call 410.641.3575.
Worcester Preparatory School
508 South Main Street, Berlin, MD 21811
Phone: 410-641-3575 | Fax: 410-641-3586
Celebrating 50 years, WPS is an independent, college prep day school for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. Located in Berlin, Maryland, the private school attracts an average of 500 students from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
