NATIONAL MERIT® SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS June 3, 2020 Announcement
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NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP CORPORATION 1560 Sherman Avenue, Suite 200, Evanston, Illinois 60201-4897 (847) 866-5100 NATIONAL MERIT® SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS June 3, 2020 Announcement Contact: Eileen Artemakis or Matthew Budreau Phone: (847) 866-5100 Public Information Email: [email protected] Website: www.nationalmerit.org Advance: For release on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 Note to editors: College-sponsored Merit Scholarship® winners in your state are listed alphabetically by city following this press release. News media are encouraged to contact high school principals for additional information about these outstanding students. This material is prepared solely for news media to announce the names of Merit Scholar® designees; its use for any other purpose is prohibited. Today’s announcement is the third National Merit Scholar release in 2020 by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). NMSC named recipients of corporate-sponsored awards on April 22 and winners of National Merit ® $2500 Scholarships on May 13. Additional recipients of college-sponsored awards will be announced on July 13. By the conclusion of this year’s competition, about 7,600 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million. College-Sponsored Merit Scholarship Winners (Evanston, Illinois) Today, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced over 3,300 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities. Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the Finalists in the 2020 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. An additional group of Scholars will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship recipients in the 2020 competition to about 4,100. This year, 167 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. Sponsor colleges and universities include 92 private and 75 public institutions located in 43 states and the District of Columbia. -more- Add one College-Sponsored Merit Scholarship Winners College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners announced today are a part of the distinguished group of about 7,600 high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth over $30 million. Earlier this spring, NMSC announced winners of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards and National Merit $2500 Scholarships. 2020 National Merit Scholarship Competition Over 1.5 million juniors in approximately 21,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, approximately 16,000 Semifinalists were named on a state-representational basis in numbers proportional to each state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the nation’s seniors. To compete for Merit Scholarship awards, Semifinalists first had to advance to the Finalist level of the competition by fulfilling additional requirements. Each Semifinalist was asked to submit a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and provid- ing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT ® or ACT® scores that confirmed the qualifying test performance. From the Semifinalist group, some 15,000 met requirements for Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will be Merit Scholarship winners in 2020. NMSC, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of National Merit Scholarships provided each year are made possible by the support of approximately 400 independent corporate and college sponsors. These sponsors join NMSC in its efforts to enhance educational opportunities for America’s scholastically talented youth and to encourage the pursuit of academic excellence. # # # CAUTION: Any attempt to compare high schools on the basis of numbers of Merit Scholarship winners will lead to erroneous and unsound conclusions. The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The program does not measure the quality or effectiveness of education within a school, system, or state. National Merit, Merit Scholarship, Merit Scholar, and the corporate “Lamp of Learning” logo are federally registered service marks of National Merit Scholarship Corporation. PSAT/NMSQT is a registered trademark of National Merit Scholarship Corporation and College Board. SAT is a registered trademark of College Board. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners FLORIDA - 3 - of June 3, 2020 Aubrey Elara Dettman ALTAMONTE SPRINGS 32714 LAKE BRANTLEY H. S., ALTAMONTE SPRINGS Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering NATIONAL MERIT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SCHOLARSHIP The University of Alabama offers over 150 undergraduate and 85 graduate majors through 12 divisions. A resident student body of some 18,000 comes from across the nation and over 60 foreign countries. The university has many innovative learning programs, a Law Center, a School of Mines and Energy Development, a College of Engineering, and a College of Commerce and Business Administration. Student activities center around some 300 organizations, including fraternal groups, student government, and service organizations. Russell N. Avellanosa APOPKA 32703 LAKE BRANTLEY H. S., ALTAMONTE SPRINGS Probable career field: Music Composition NATIONAL MERIT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA SCHOLARSHIP The University of Florida is a public university of about 34,000 undergraduates in Gainesville. With more than 100 undergraduate degree programs, UF provides a broad education and many unique opportunities to help students develop a wide range of skills and strengths that are important in today's competitive job market. Ned H. Presley IV APOPKA 32703 LAKE BRANTLEY H. S., ALTAMONTE SPRINGS Probable career field: Physics NATIONAL MERIT UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA SCHOLARSHIP The University of Central Florida, located in Orlando, is a member of the State University System of Florida, noted for excellence in undergraduate teaching. Its curriculum combines diversified programs in Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration, Arts & Sciences, Education, and Health. Graduate programs through the Ph.D. and accompanying research activities provide enhancement and continual educational opportunities. Jade K. Hannan ATLANTIC BEACH 32233 PROVIDENCE SCHOOL, JACKSONVILLE Probable career field: Undecided NATIONAL MERIT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP The University of South Carolina, a medium-sized, coeducational state university, is the nation's first (founded in 1801) to be financed entirely by any state. Opportunities include an undergraduate honors program, advanced placement and a varied curriculum which includes majors in over 10 undergraduate colleges and schools. Advanced degrees, including the Ph.D., are offered in these and other fields. Katherine E. Stevens ATLANTIC BEACH 32233 STANTON COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL, Probable career field: Computer Science JACKSONVILLE NATIONAL MERIT EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP Emory College is the undergraduate division of Emory University, a private, coeducational university located in suburban Atlanta. With over 3,000 students and a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, the college provides the advantages of individual attention plus the resources of a major university. Emory also offers undergraduate schools of Business Administration and Nursing, and graduate schools of Arts and Sciences, Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Allied Health, and Theology. Scott T. Pollowitz AVENTURA 33180 MAST AT FIU BISCAYNE BAY CAMPUS, Probable career field: Psychology NORTH MIAMI NATIONAL MERIT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOLARSHIP The University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, is a private, independent, international university. About 14,000 students from 50 states and over 100 countries are enrolled. Undergraduate programs are offered in over 50 areas of study, and there are over 100 programs offered at the master's and doctoral levels. The libraries contain more than one million volumes. The Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science is one of 11 academic divisions of the university. Owens T. Parker BARTOW 33830 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE SCHOOL, Probable career field: Law BARTOW NATIONAL MERIT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA SCHOLARSHIP The University of Florida is a public university of about 34,000 undergraduates in Gainesville. With more than 100 undergraduate degree programs, UF provides a broad education and many unique opportunities to help students develop a wide range of skills and strengths that are important in today's competitive job market. Christian J. Murphy BISCAYNE PARK 33161 MONSIGNOR EDWARD PACE H. S., Probable career field: Neurosurgery MIAMI GARDENS NATIONAL MERIT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA