LA PLATA, Md. (February 4, 2012)—The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) recently named Felicia Dillard, a Westlake High School senior, as a finalist in the National Achievement Scholarship Program. As one of more than 800 national finalists, Dillard will receive a one-time $2,500 scholarship award.
Dillard was selected as an award finalist from a nationwide pool of more than 1,300 semifinalists for high academic performance, student and community leadership activities, principal recommendation and SAT scores. Dillard was recently accepted to attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall, and plans to study Biology and neuroscience.
Students are considered for the program when they take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as high school juniors. Semifinalists are designated within geographic regions and are the highest-scoring program entrants in the states that make up specific regions.
More than 160,000 students nationwide entered the National Achievement Program. The NMSC established the academic achievement program in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding African-American high school students. Each year, students who are not selected as semifinalists for the program are referred to colleges for their potential for high academic success.
The NMSC is a non-profit organization that was established in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Program. Scholarships awarded through the program are underwritten by NMSC’s funds and more than 500 business organizations and other educational institutions with the goal of honoring the nation’s scholastic students and the pursuit of academic excellence.
Source: Charles County Public Schools