Schools
2 Napa Students Named National Merit Scholars
From a field of 16,000 finalists, two Napa students were among 2,500 chosen to receive a $2,500 scholarship.
NAPA, CA — Two Napa students were named National Merit Scholarship Corporation award winners this week.
The 2,500 Merit Scholars who each won a $2,500 scholarship were chosen from a pool of 16,000 finalists, according to the corporation.
A team of college admissions officers and high school counselors chose the finalists. Winners were judged based on their academic record, SAT and PSAT scores, participation in school and community activities, recommendations, and essays.
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The Merit Scholars were announced Wednesday and included:
- Napa resident Eva Heiken, a senior at Vintage High School whose probable career field is biochemistry
- Fairfield resident Paul Kelly IV, a senior at Justin-Siena High School whose probable career field is aerospace engineering
This announcement marked the second round of National Merit Scholarship awardees in 2021.
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Additional winners will be announced June 2 and July 12.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation said it will award a total of $30 million to 7,500 "academic champions" by this fall.
— Patch local editors Courtney Teague and Bea Karnes contributed to this report.
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