Five GCS Students Earn National Merit $2,500 Scholarships
Five Greenville County Schools' seniors have been named winners of the National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, announced today by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).
- Brittany D. Fales, Mauldin High School – Business
- Raphael J. Turra, Riverside High School - Chemistry
- Jiawei Zhang, Riverside High School – Education (College Professor)
- Anjali C. Carroll, Southside High Academy – Academia
- Michael S. Wang, Southside High Academy – Biochemistry
These students were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program.
National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2,500 Scholarships. Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
NMSC, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 440 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.