Three Washoe County students earned National Merit Scholarships this year, chosen from among 7,500 high school seniors across the nation. The students will receive between $500 and $2,000 each year for up to four years of undergraduate study.
The three winners are:
- Matthew R. Long, Galena High School, Chemical Engineering
- Teagan Jane Serink, Damonte Ranch High School, Music Composition
- Jacob T. Weber, Galena High School, Business
Each student will receive the scholarship from the higher education institution that selected them for the award.
National Merit Scholarships are competitive awards to honor academically talented high school students and connect them with schools that want to sponsor scholarships. This year nearly $28 million in awards were given to high school seniors.
About 50,000 students are eligible for the awards each year by having among the top scores on the PSAT/NMSQT during their junior year or earlier. They’re then whittled to about 16,000 during the semifinalist stage before finalists are selected based on their test scores, academic achievement, leadership and activities and letters of recommendation.
