Two Manatee District Seniors Named National Achievement Scholarship Semifinalists

Ashley Gillam of Braden River High and Kwesi Kwapong of Southeast High have been named semifinalists in the 49^th Annual National Achievement Scholarship Program, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

These two local scholastically talented students now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for about 800 Achievement Scholarship awards worth nearly $2.5 million to be offered in the spring.

More than 160,000 high school juniors across the country requested consideration in the 2013 National Achievement Program when they took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

The National Achievement Scholarship Program, conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, is a privately financed academic competition that operates without government assistance. It was initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students throughout the nation.

About 1,300 Semifinalists are expected to advance to the Finalist level and in January they will be notified of this designation. All Achievement Scholar awardees will be selected from the Finalist group on the basis of their abilities, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.