National Merit Scholars From Georgia Announced

GEORGIA — The next group of 2021 National Merit Scholarship winners includes 58 high school students from Georgia.

The National Merit winners from the Peach State are among the more than 3,100 announced nationally this year to receive between $500 and $2,000 scholarships from colleges and universities across the country, the National Merit Scholarship Corp. said in a news release Wednesday.

National Merit Scholarship winners from Georgia in 2021 include:

Cambridge High School, Milton

• Claire V. Bowman, Emory University, Public Health

Roswell High School, Roswell

• Tai Crisco, University of Georgia, Psychology
• Sean M. Robertson, University of Alabama, Computer Science

Lakeside High School, Atlanta

• Austin J. Beale, Emory University, Undecided
• Saitheja A. Puja, Emory University, Sports Medicine

North Atlanta High School, Atlanta

• Alison H. Christmann-Vener, Washington and Lee University, Education

The Galloway School, Atlanta

• Charles S. Garrow, University of Chicago, Public Policy

The Westminster School, Atlanta

• Virginia S. Hatcher, Washington and Lee University, Law
• Siya L. Kalra, University of Chicago, Classics

Henry W. Grady High School, Atlanta

• Lauren Silcock, University of Florida, Pediatrics

Druid Hills High School, Atlanta

• William F. Wainwright, Emory University, Political Science

Chamblee High School, Chamblee

• Mary C. Adams, Florida Atlantic University, Medicine
• Rachel Lee, Emory University, Medicine

Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Lawrenceville

• Jordan S. Hammond, University of Georgia, Astrophysics
• Joshua G. Mellott, University of Alabama, Political Science

Lambert High School, Suwanee

• Kayla M. Howard, Mississippi State University, Veterinary Medicine
• Apoorva P. Palled, University of Central Florida, Medicine
• Justin Ryu, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Medicine
• Kevin H. Sun, Emory University, Economics

Loganville High School, Loganville

• Anderson H. Holcomb, Emory University, Surgical Medicine

Mountain View High School, Lawrenceville

• Katie S. Shin, Emory University, Medicine

Norcross High School, Norcross

• Abigail S. Lewis, University of Oregon, Film Production

Parkview High School, Lilburn

• Sydney R. Walker, Emory University, Biomedical Engineering

Peachtree Ridge High School, Suwanee

• Brian J. Lee, University of Georgia, Undecided

Etowah High School, Woodstock

• Benjamin D. Willett, University of Georgia, Finance

Cherokee High School, Canton

• Dylan J. Iovino, University of Alabama, Biochemical Engineering

Lassiter High School, Marietta

• Aidan C. Payne, University of Alabama, Applied Mathematics

Sprayberry High School, Marietta

• Allison D. Mawn, University of Georgia, Journalism

Walton High School, Marietta

• Sai Anoop Avunuri, University of Georgia, Computer Science
• Eric Brewster, University of Florida, Finance
• Caroline G. Brooks, University of Georgia, Criminology
• Alexander W. Krupp, Arizona State University, Computer Science

Wheeler High School, Marietta

• Matthew L. House, University of Georgia, Computer Programming
• Caroline K. Hugh, University of Chicago, Urban/City Planning
• Anushka Jain, Emory University, Quantitative Analysis
• Samuel A. Maloney, University of South Carolina, Political Science
• Alexander P. Mena, University of Georgia, Pediatrics
• Aniketh S. Tadepalli, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Medicine
• Charles M. Yu, Purdue University, Aerospace Engineering

Alliance Academy of Innovation, Cumming

• Sanjanna Shankar, University of Georgia, Medicine

Forsyth Central High School, Cumming

• Ashriitha Shanmugam, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Oncology

Lambert High School, Suwanee

• Kayla M. Howard, Mississippi State University, Veterinary Medicine
• Apoorva P. Palled, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Medicine
• Justin Ryu, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Medicine
• Kevin H. Sun, Emory University, Economics

South Forsyth High School, Cumming

• Wesley Thomas Bryant, University of Alabama, Pediatrics
• Riley A. Durbin, University of Alabama Scholarship, Computer Science
• Riya Manchanda, Boston University, Medicine
• Aadarsh Vavilikolanu, University of Georgia, Computer Science

Cedar Shoals High School, Athens

• Benjamin C. Michael, University of Alabama, Accounting

Mary Persons High School, Forsyth

• Ava G. McKallip, University of Alabama, Environmental Engineering

North Hall High School, Gainesville

• Benjamin G. Irick, Washington State University, Mechanical Engineering

Newnan High School, Newnan

• Sarah L. Dean, University of Georgia, Biology

McIntosh High School, Peachtree City

• Johanna D. Nelson, University of Alabama, Biology

Rome High School, Rome

• Jace S. Clowdus, University of Southern California, Video Game Design

Frederica Academy, St. Simons Island

• Dylan J. McHugh, University of Florida, Architecture

Deerfield Academy, Deerfield (MA)

• Sean Kim, University of Chicago, Undecided

North Oconee High School, Bogart

• Kathrynne G. Kelley, University of Georgia, Law

The National Merit winners announced this week will have their scholarships funded by the colleges and universities that they will attend. One hundred and sixty colleges and universities — including 85 private and 75 public schools — took part in the merit scholarship program in 2021.

An additional group of college-sponsored National Merit scholars will be announced in July, the scholarship corporation said. This group is part of the approximately 7,500 National Merit scholarship winners who will be selected by the end of 2021. National Merit scholarships via corporate-sponsored awards and the corporation’s own $2,500 scholarships were announced earlier in the spring.

See also:
Three Atlanta Students Win National Merit Corporate Scholarships
$2,500 National Merit Scholarships Go To 9 Atlanta Grads

More than 1.5 million juniors nationally entered the 2021 National Merit scholarship program when they took the 2019 preliminary SAT/National Merit scholarship qualifying test, the corporation said. About 17,000 semifinalists, fewer than 1 percent of the country’s high school seniors, were announced last fall.

Semifinalists had to write an essay and detail their extracurricular activities, awards and leadership positions to become a finalist. About half of the 16,000 finalists will be merit scholars by the end of the year, the corporation said.

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