West Islip High School high achiever Heather O’Gara, who had one of the highest scores nationally on her PSAT/NMSQT to become a National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist, has been declared a finalist. Last September, she was among 16,000 students across the country named as semi-finalists. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship, O’Gara needed to advance to finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements. This month, she was notified she has advanced to what Principal Ken Hartill calls “the highest level of competition,” joining 15,000 of her peers nationally. Scholarship winners will be announced this spring. The three types of scholarships available are: one-time awards from the National Merit Corporation; those sponsored by colleges; and special corporate awards.