Eight from county win National Merit Corporate Scholarships

Eight San Diego County students were named recently in the first group of winners in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

They are among roughly 840 high school seniors nationally who have been awarded scholarships by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The corporate-sponsored scholarships are financed by corporations, company foundations and other business organizations.

Scholars were chosen from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. The sponsors provide scholarships for National Merit finalists who are children of their employees, residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.

Most awards are renewable for up to four years of college and provide annual stipends from $1,000 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000.

Three more announcements of scholarship winners will be made in the next few months. By the end of this year’s competition, more than 7,140 students will have won National Merit Scholarships worth roughly $28 million.

In San Diego County, the corporate scholarship winners are:

National Merit Northrop Grumman Scholarship: Chloe Lu, Carlsbad, Sage Creek High School, Carlsbad; Anna M. Chong, San Diego, Rancho Bernardo High School, San Diego; Christopher L. Su, San Diego, Torrey Pines High School, San Diego

National Merit Leidos Inc. Scholarship: Mark A. Kazmierowicz, Encinitas, Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego

National Merit Johnson & Johnson Scholarship: Anika Y. Chung, San Diego, Westview High School, San Diego

National Merit Novartis Scholarship: Derek X. Liu, San Diego, Torrey Pines High School, San Diego

National Merit Marsh McLennan Scholarship: Brian G. Tang, San Diego, Del Norte High School, San Diego

National Merit Boeing Scholarship: Andrew Tsai, San Diego, Torrey Pines High School, San Diego