Eight Southwest National Merit Semifinalists

10 MPS students named National Merit semifinalists

MINNEAPOLIS – Ten Minneapolis Public Schools students on September 16 were named semifinalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program. Ashley R. Bielinski, Isabella N. Dawis, Caroline A. Lauth, Mikayla M. MacNally, Rose E. Milavitz, Christopher J. Riddle, Ruth L. Styles and Mark B. Ulrich of Southwest High School are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 55th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 8,200 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million, that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 500 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

Congratulations!