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HOOD RIVER, OR: Activist, poet and stand out high school student Rowan McKenna is photographed in the hallways of Hood River Valley High School on June 1, 2026, in Hood River, Oregon. In the photo above her are senior portraits of graduating students from the high school. McKenn herself just graduated from Hood River Valley High School in May. McKenna was recognized as a semifinalist in the prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. She is one of more than 16,000 academically talented high school seniors nationwide who earned this distinction, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. As a semi-finalist, McKenna has the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered in the spring. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson)

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