Create an Array from list of objects in MaxScript and add them to a new layer

I'm super new to Maxscript and want to automate a process, I've been looking at some tutorials, but I'm running into a issue with selection. What I'm trying to do, is I have a list of strings (that I might have to add to) that represent objects in the max file that I want to select (if they exist in that file) and then add to a new layer.

for instance:

/* I have a big long list of objects I want to mass select, this has to be hardcoded because its a similar list that exists in a ton of max files */
rObj1 = "testObj1"
rObj2 = "sampleObj2"
""
rObj99 = "newObj90"

/*I want to then add it to an array
removeList = #(rObj***)

/* Then run through each entry in the array to make sure it exists and then add it to my selection
for i in removeList do
    (
    if i != undefined then select (i)   
    )

/*Then Add what I have selected to a new layer

newLayer = LayerManager.newLayerFromName "removed_list"
for obj in selection do newLayer.addNode obj

I keep getting an error when it comes to selection, being new to Max I'm not sure what to do.

You are trying to select string where you should be selecting (or adding to the layer) an object:

newLayer = LayerManager.newLayerFromName "removed_list"
for objName in removeList where isValidNode (getNodeByName objName) do
    newLayer.addNode (getNodeByName objName)