National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) recently announced the names of the first group of winners in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. 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.
One of those recipients is Anna Evers, a Rockwall-Heath High School 2018 graduate, who was named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist in the fall of 2017.
Anna’s scholarship is from the National Merit Tomkins Gates Foundation Scholarship, and she plans to pursue a career in medical research.
The National Merit Tomkins Gates Foundation Scholarship program has been funded by the Tomkins Corporation Foundation since 1990. The company has some 10,000 employees in over 60 locations nationwide, manufacturing a wide variety of components used in residential, commercial, and industrial construction and related fields.
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, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT® scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance. From the Semifinalist group, some 15,000 met Finalist requirements.
By the conclusion of the 2018 competition, about 7,500 Finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling over $31 million. Winners are the Finalist candidates judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
Pictured: Anna Evers speaks at the 2017 Scholastic Champions event as Principal Todd Bradford Smiles
