2023 Corporate-Sponsored Natl Merit Scholarships

Eight Contra Costa County Seniors Awarded Corporate-Sponsored National Merit Scholarships
Posted on 04/27/2023
8 Seniors Receive National Merit ScholarshipsPLEASANT HILL, Calif.—Eight seniors at four Contra Costa County high schools have been named winners in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among approximately 840 distinguished high school seniors from throughout the Nation announced in the first group of National Merit Scholars for 2023.

“The eight students selected to receive these highly competitive scholarships have demonstrated profound academic and extracurricular achievements,” Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said. “I commend these scholars and the hard work they have done to receive this great honor and distinction.”

Schools with National Merit Corporate-Sponsored Scholarship Winners include Dougherty Valley High School (4), Miramonte High School (1), Monte Vista High School (2), and San Ramon Valley High School (1). The seniors selected will receive scholarship awards financed by corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations. Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for children of their employees, residents of communities the company/funder serves, or are pursuing college majors and careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.

Scholarship winners were selected from a pool of students who had advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met the criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Most of the awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends from $1,000 - $10,000 per year or a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000.

High school juniors entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. In September 2022, 107 Contra Costa County students were named National Merit Semifinalists and were among the highest-scoring program entrants in California, representing less than one percent of the nation’s seniors.

Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. More information about the National Merit Scholarship program can be found online at https://www.nationalmerit.org/.

According to The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, by the conclusion of this year’s competition, more than 7,140 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $28 million. Additional recipients of National Merit® $2500 Scholarships will be named on May 10, and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards on June 7 and July 10.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
DOUGHERTY VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
Nicholas Chang
Kristen Chen
Isaac Liu
Sarah J. Stadermann

MIRAMONTE HIGH SCHOOL
Alexander Aoki

MONTE VISTA HIGH SCHOOL
Lucas Johansson
Samira Sinha

SAN RAMON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
Ashlyn M. Widmer

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About Contra Costa County Office of Education
One of 58 counties in California, Contra Costa County has the 9th largest public-school student population in the state (approximately 158,401 students). Officially established in 1932, CCCOE has a long history of providing direct services to some of our county's most vulnerable students, including young people who are incarcerated, homeless, or in foster care, as well as students who have severe physical or emotional challenges.

CCCOE also provides support services to schools and school districts in Contra Costa County; services that can be handled most effectively and economically on a regional basis rather than by each of the county's 285 schools or 18 school districts. These services range from budget approval and fiscal support to technology infrastructure, communication support, and high-level professional development opportunities for educators. CCCOE maintains a website at www.cocoschools.org.
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