2nd Round Of National Merit Scholarships: Fairfax Student Winners

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Six students from the City of Fairfax are winners of the second round of the National Merit Scholarship, which awards $2,500 to recipients.

The first round of corporate-sponsored scholarships were announced April 21 and included three students from the Fairfax area.

For each state, the number of winners is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors. The program says the winners are the finalists “judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.”

More than 1.5 million students applied for the highly competitive scholarship and the program says that around 7,500 students will go on to win scholarships in 2021 that total $30 million. Winners of the college-sponsored scholarship will be announced in June and July.

Here are the Fairfax area winners of the $2,500 scholarships:

• Meera Gupta, who is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, plans to study medicine.
• Aidan G. Harbison, who is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, plans to study neuroscience.
• Tiffany J. Ji, who is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, plans to study neuroscience.
• Samuel D. Littman, who is a student at Fairfax High School, plans to study chemical engineering.
• Kelly Mao, who is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, plans to study academia.
• Caroline B. Stephens, who is a student at Oakton High School, plans to study psychology.

A total of 16,000 students were selected as finalists for the scholarships and the final winners are candidates “judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.”