2 local teens achieve semifinal status in scholarship program competition

The students are eligible to compete for some $2.6 million in scholarship prizes.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Two area high school seniors are among 1,600 black high school seniors nationwide designated as semifinalists in the 45th annual National Achievement Scholarship competition.

Derrick A. High, a student at Youngstown Early College, and Esther A. Oder, a student at Liberty High School, now have an opportunity to compete for about 800 scholarships worth more than $2.6 million to be awarded next spring.

The National Achievement Program, conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corp., is a privately financed academic competition initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students. To date, more than 27,800 young men and women have received Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than $91 million.

About 1,300 of the semifinalists are expected to advance to the finalist level in the 2009 program. All Achievement Scholar awardees will be selected from the finalist group on the basis of their abilities, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

More than 150,000 high school juniors from all parts of the United States requested consideration in the 2009 National Achievement Program when they took the 2007 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

To advance to the finalist level, semifinalists must present a record of high academic performance throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal and earn SAT scores that confirm the PSAT/NMSQT performance. They also must complete a detailed scholarship application.

Scholarship awards are provided by corporations, professional organizations, foundations and by NMSC’s own funds. Two types of scholarships will be offered: 700 one-time National Achievement $2,500 scholarships and about 100 Achievement Scholarship awards from specific sponsors.