Anja Machado, a distinguished senior at Deering High School, has earned national recognition by being named a National Merit Scholar, being awarded a National Merit University of Tulsa Scholarship, placing her among an elite group of students nationwide celebrated for exceptional academic ability and the potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Anja is one of just five students in Maine to win a National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities and among about 2,900 students nationwide to be awarded such a scholarship. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.

Deering High School provided this following write-up about Anja that depicts the achievements and potential of this exceptional student:

“Her profound aptitude for the sciences was further lauded as she received the prestigious Christine Wagner Memorial Science Award. This honor is bestowed annually upon a student exemplifying remarkable growth, diligence, and the distinct promise of a significant career in science. Anja has consistently captivated her science educators, who describe her as "brilliant, able to think critically, and quick to understand the why behind things." This intellectual acuity was powerfully demonstrated in her recent capstone project: a meticulously researched and executed investigation into the viability of bioplastics. For this project, Anja developed and rigorously tested four distinct recipes for elasticity, durability, hydration, utility, and biodegradability, ultimately proposing innovative applications such as bioplastic gloves, durable children's toys, and biodegradable confetti.

Anja's commitment to scientific exploration extends to her active and impactful participation in Deering's Science Olympiad team, where her contributions have yielded significant accolades. These include a Silver Medal in Chemistry Lab, a Silver Medal in Experimental Design, and a Bronze Medal in Anatomy and Physiology. Beyond her scientific endeavors, Anja demonstrates exemplary leadership as the Vice President of the Deering High School National Honor Society for the 2024-2025 school year. These multifaceted achievements reflect Anja's proficiency and her ambition to contribute meaningfully to society, with aspirations toward a future career in medical research or tackling the critical challenges of climate change.”

The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in college. This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2023 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. In September 2024, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state-representational basis in the 2025 contest.

Seven PPS students were among just 53 Maine seniors that the program named as Semifinalists: Deering High School students Violet Blum Levine, Anja Machado, and Asa Tussing; and Portland High School students Madeline Butters, Lawrence "Calvin" Foster, Dvora Katz and Alexander Price. This past February, all the students were notified that they were among 15,000 Finalists nationwide, who all had the opportunity to continue in the competition for 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million offered in 2025 as part of the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The National Merit Scholarship winners are being announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and ending in July. Scholarship recipients will join more than 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.