Schools
2 Sonoma County Students Named National Merit Scholars
From a field of 16,000 finalists, the two local students were among 2,500 chosen to receive a $2,500 scholarship.
SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Two Santa Rosa 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:
- Lael Joseph, a senior at Santa Rosa High School whose probable career field is human rights
- Kyle Kai-Yi Wu, a senior at Maria Carrillo High School whose probable career field is electrical engineering
Additional winners will be announced June 2 and July 12.
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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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