SPRINGFIELD — Washington County High School senior John Alexander “Alex” Taylor has been selected as semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program, according to an announcement from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The program recognizes the top scorers of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). Out of 1.5 million students nationwide, Taylor is among the top 16,000 of the highest scorers in this exceptional academic achievement, representing less than 1% of the nation’s high school graduating seniors. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation was established in 1995 and is an independent, not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance with goals of identifying and honoring academically talented U.S. high school students, stimulating increased support for education and providing efficient and effective program management for organizations who wish to sponsor college undergraduate scholarships.