Ellis Wood, valedictorian of the Deering High School Class of 2026, is a college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winner, making him a National Merit Scholar. Wood is among just five Maine students recently announced as winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by the U.S. colleges and universities they plan to attend. Wood and the other Maine students are part of a select cohort of more than 2,500 National Merit Finalists nationwide to win the college-sponsored scholarships so far.

Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the Finalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. This year, 138 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program.

In Wood’s case, he won a National Merit Tufts University Scholarship. Wood, who is interested in a career in mechanical engineering, will attend that university this fall.

Deering High School shared the following summary of the achievements of Wood, who graduated with his class earlier this month:

Class of 2026 Valedictorian Ellis Wood perfectly represents the core values of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. A member of the National Honor Society who was recently inducted into Deering’s William E. Wing Chapter, Ellis has balanced profound intellectual curiosity with an incredible drive for academic excellence. His academic achievements place him among the top students in the state and the country. Beyond the classroom, Ellis has brought that same focus to the stage with the Deering Players drama department and to competitive STEM arenas, serving as an instrumental member of Deering's state champion Science Olympiad team, where he earned individual state medals and helped represent the school at the National Tournament at the University of Southern California.

Ellis has also made a massive impact on the athletic field and the local community. As an elite distance runner, he has anchored relay teams and excelled individually at regional and state levels, achieving a 5k personal record of 16:12 in cross country and a stellar 3200m outdoor track time of 9:36.35. His long-distance talent will carry forward as he officially commits to run for the distance program at Tufts University. Yet, what makes Ellis truly stand out to peers and faculty is his genuine citizenship and kindness. Whether coordinating a successful Red Cross blood drive at Deering or serving through the Key Club, Ellis continually looks for ways to give back, leaving a lasting legacy of integrity and school spirit.

The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in a rigorous college environment. This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2024 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. In September 2025, 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 2026 contest. Three PPS students were among just 58 Maine seniors that the program named as Semifinalists. The three PPS Semifinalists were Deering High School seniors Ellis Retzer, Alma Wallace and Ellis Wood.

They and all the other academically talented 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide had the opportunity to compete for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million offered in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. All three went on to become Finalists in the competition for scholarships. In addition to Wood winning a scholarship, Wallace won a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship in May.

Additional recipients of college-sponsored scholarships will be announced on July 13, 2026. That announcement will conclude this year’s program, during which 6,700 students nationwide will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received college scholarships.