The six students are winners of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s (NMSC) College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarships. The higher education institutions – Brigham Young University, Northwestern University, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of South Carolina, and Vanderbilt University – all plan to award a scholarship to a Gwinnett graduate with Vanderbilt University recognizing two students.
The winning graduates join another 2,500 students from throughout the nation receiving scholarships due to exemplary academic careers. They each have earned a scholarship worth between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the university that they will be attending.
Gwinnett¹s 2014 College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners:
From Brookwood High:
Hannah Lee
Probable career field: Biomedical Engineering
National Merit Northwestern University Scholarship
From Grayson High:
Christina T. Lanier
Probable career field: Economics
National Merit University of Texas at Dallas Scholarship
From Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology:
Ryan T. Clark
Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering
National Merit Brigham Young University Scholarship
Erika L. Ikizake
Probable career field: Biology
National Merit Vanderbilt University Scholarship
From Mountain View High:
Mary Katherine Wirl
Probable career field: Publishing
National Merit University of South Carolina Scholarship
From Parkview High:
Lihua Shu
Probable career field: Medicine
National Merit Vanderbilt University Scholarship
These winning students were selected by their college from among the finalists in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program who were planning to attend their institution. This year, 190 higher education institutions have underwritten Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program.
About 1.5 million students entered the competition last school year as juniors by taking the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as the initial screening for program entrants. The highest scoring participants in each state were then selected as semifinalists. Finalists were then selected by a review of the students outstanding academic record; scores from two standardized tests; an endorsement/recommendation by a school official; and a self-descriptive essay and information about their participation and leadership in school and community activities.
For more information about the NMSC, contact (847) 866-5100, or visit www.nationalmerit.org
