Students win National Merit Scholarships sponsored by colleges, universities

MADISON – Several Madison students have won College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships.

National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced more than 3,300 winners of National Merit Scholarships that U.S. colleges and universities are financing. Officials at each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

To compete for Merit Scholarship awards, semifinalists first had to advance to the finalist level by fulfilling additional requirements. Each semifinalist submitted a detailed scholarship application, including an essay and details about extracurricular activities, awards and leadership positions.

Semifinalists also must have outstanding academic records, endorsements and recommendations by a high school official, and SAT or ACT scores that confirmed the qualifying test performance.

The following students at James Clemens and Bob Jones high schools, along with Providence Classical School, received College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships:

* JOY M. DUAN – Bob Jones, probable career field in medicine, National Merit UAB Scholarship from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

* SHRISHTI DUBEY – James Clemens, probable career in economics, National Merit University Of Alabama Scholarship.

* SKYLAR E. ELLIOTT – Bob Jones, probable career in materials engineering, National Merit University Of Alabama Scholarship.

* SOPHIA N. FOX – James Clemens, probable career field in medicine, National Merit UAB Scholarship.

* MICHAEL B. GUTHRIE – Bob Jones, probable career in chemical engineering, National Merit University Of Alabama Scholarship.

* RANOAH L. HOLCOMB – James Clemens, probable career in biomedical engineering, National Merit UAB Scholarship.

* ELLIOTT J. KLIESNER – James Clemens, probable career in electrical engineering, National Merit University Of Florida Scholarship, Gainesville, Fla.

* ASHLEY TAYLOR MACKENZIE – Providence Classical School, probable career in veterinary medicine, National Merit Mississippi State University Scholarship, Starkville, Miss.

* SULEKHA RAMESH – Bob Jones, probable career in environmental engineering, National Merit Texas A&M University Scholarship, College Station, Texas.

In addition, another Madison student won a corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship award. Most winners were announced in April but this was published in July:

* KEVIN ZHENG – James Clemens, probable career field in computer science. National Merit PPG Foundation Community Scholarship awarded to outstanding youth who live where PPG maintains manufacturing or distribution operations.

For more information, visit nationalmerit.org.