Local students receive National Merit scholarships

More than 2,500 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities were announced on May 23 by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2012 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 2012 competition to approximately 4,800.

This year, 197 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. Sponsor colleges and universities include 117 private and 80 public institutions located in 45 states and the District of Columbia.

Local award winners are:

Ÿ Aurora resident Sivani Aluru of Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora is planning on studying medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ÿ Aurora resident Kayla A. Simon of Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora is planning on studying wildlife biology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Ÿ Lake in the Hills resident Rachael A. Wood of Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock is planning on studying forensic psychology at Western Washington University.

Ÿ St. Charles North graduate Eric Ye is planning on studying engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Scholarship winners: National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners were announced on May 2 by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit $2500 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. They were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors. These scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

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.

All finalists competed for these awards. To select scholarship winners, a committee of educators 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. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state's percentage of the nation's graduating high school seniors.

Local winners include:

Ÿ Aurora resident Aadharsh Sadhana, a student at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, who is planning on studying mechanical engineering, received a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship.

Ÿ Stuart J. Streit, a student at Crystal Lake Central High School who is planning on studying chemical engineering, received a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship.

Ÿ Elgin resident Lucija Filipac, a student at Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora who is planning on studying business, received a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, underwritten by R.R. Donnelley Foundation.

Ÿ James L. Bartusek, a student at Geneva High School who is planning on studying science, received a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship.

Ÿ Geneva resident Emil Timergalievich Khabiboulline, a student at Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora who is planning on studying engineering, received a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship.

Ÿ Sleepy Hollow resident Connor R. Flexman, a student at Elgin Academy who is planning on studying astrophysics/particle physics, received a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship

Ÿ West Dundee resident Michael T. Atten, a student at Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora who is planning on studying mechanical engineering, received a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, underwritten by Consol Energy Inc.

Corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship Winners: National Merit Scholarship Corporation released the names of the first group of winners in the 57th annual National Merit Scholarship Program on April 18. Approximately 1,000 distinguished high school seniors have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 200 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations.

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. 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. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

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 57 competitions, expending or committing more than $700 million to support the intellectual development of the nation's scholastically talented youth.

Local winners include:

Ÿ Aurora resident Christine R. Joseph, a student at Metea Valley High School in Aurora who plans on studying bioengineering, received a National Merit PepsiCo Foundation, Inc. Scholarship.

Ÿ Cary resident Alex M. Whitaker, a student at Cary-Grove High School who plans on studying chemical engineering, received a National Merit Calmer L. Johnson/John W. Leslie ITW Scholarship.

Ÿ Crystal Lake resident Erik D. Kountz, a student at Crystal Lake South High School who plans on studying physics research/science, received a National Merit Northrop Grumman Scholarship.

Ÿ Lake in the Hills resident Elisah J. Vanden Bussche, a student at Jacobs High School who plans on studying chemical engineering, received a National Merit Honeywell Scholarship.

Achievement Scholarship: National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of approximately 800 outstanding black American high school seniors who have won Achievement Scholarship awards through the National Achievement Scholarship Program on April 4.

Locally, Christopher A. Sanders of Crystal Lake High School won the award. He plans on studying mechanical engineering.

The $2,500 scholarship is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

These awards, totaling over $2 million dollars, are being financed by grants from 29 corporate organizations and professional associations, and by National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program is a privately financed academic competition established in 1964 specifically to honor scholastically talented black American youth and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding participants in each annual competition. By the conclusion of the 2012 program, marking the 48th annual competition, about 31,800 participants will have received scholarships for undergraduate study worth more than $100 million. The program is conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a nonprofit organization that operates without government assistance.