National Merit Scholarship Winners
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) released the winners in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Approximately 3,700 distinguished high school seniors have won awards.
The Greenville County Schools winners include:
- Riverside High Senior Treesa Abraham - National Merit University of South Carolina Scholarship
- Riverside High Senior Jackson Dille - National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
- Fountain Inn High Senior Cole Gibbs - National Merit University of South Carolina Scholarship
- Wade Hampton High Senior Brooke Gillen - National Merit University of Alabama Scholarship
- Greenville Sr. High Academy Senior Elizabeth Heckman - National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
- Woodmont High Senior Derek Hoeung - National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
- Greenville Sr. High Academy Senior Rigdon Hynum - National Merit Clemson University Scholarship
- J.L. Mann High Academy Senior Devika Jagadish - National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
- Greenville Sr. High Academy Senior Ethan Kedar - National Merit Carleton College Scholarship
- Wade Hampton High School Senior Avanti Keskar - Hubbell Foundation Scholarship
- Riverside High Senior Adam Le - National Merit University of South Carolina Scholarship
- Riverside High Senior Jay Patel - National Merit University of South Carolina Scholarship
Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for Finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage. This year, 146 colleges and universities are sponsoring more than 3,700 Merit Scholarship awards.
Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000.
Funding for these National Merit Scholarships is provided by corporate organizations that represent nearly all sectors of American industry. Sponsors from the business community have underwritten awards offered in all 70 competitions, expending or committing approximately $882 million to support the intellectual development of the nation’s scholastically talented youth.
To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, Semifinalists had to fulfill requirements to advance to Finalist standing. Each Semifinalist was asked to complete a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, and be endorsed and recommended by a high school official. From the Semifinalist group, some 15,000 met Finalist requirements.
