23 Connecticut Students Are National Merit Scholarship Winners

EVANSTON, IL—Nearly two dozen Connecticut students were awarded National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities, it was announced. Colleges and universities selected scholarship winners from among the 2019 finalists who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

Sponsor colleges and universities include 95 private and 78 public institutions located in 43 states and the District of Columbia. College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners are a part of the distinguished group of about 7,600 high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth over $31 million. And 23 of those academic champions are from Connecticut.

For the 2019 National Merit Scholarship competition, more than 1.6 million juniors in approximately 22,000 high schools took the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, approximately 16,000 semifinalists were named. They were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the nation’s seniors. Semifinalists then needed to advance to the ‘finalist’ level of the competition by after submitting a detailed scholarship application, an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. They also needed an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT® scores that confirmed the qualifying test performance. From the semifinalist group, some 15,000 met requirements for Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will be Merit Scholarship winners in 2019.

The Connecticut winners are:

Poorna Balakumar. A Hill Regional Career High School student, she is a recipient of a 2019 National Merit Scholarship. She's considering a career in surgical medicine.

Colton J. Glasgow of Canton. A Canton High School student, Glasgow plans a career field in astronomy. Glasgow was awarded a National Merit Rochester Institute Of Technology Scholarship.

Helena M. Winkler of Canton. A Canton High School student, Winkler plans a career in bioinformatics. Winkler was awarded a National Merit University Of Rochester Scholarship.

Cason G. Stone of Darien. A Darien High School student, Stone plans a career in engineering. Stone was awarded the Vanderbilt University Scholarship.

Jonathan R. Plage of Glastonbury. A Glastonbury High School student, Plage plans a career in chemical engineering. Plage was awarded a National Merit Northeastern University Scholarship.

Joseph P. Farrell of Greenwich. A student at Rye Country day School, Farrell was awarded a National Merit University Of Chicago Scholarship.

Nicholas C. Perez of Greenwich. Perez, a King School of Stamford student was awarded a National Merit University Of Chicago Scholarship.

Owen S. Dray of Guilford. Dray, a Guilford High School student, plans a career in mechanical engineering/robotics. Dray was awarded a National Merit Franklin W. Olin College Of Engineering Scholarship.

Matthew T. Lecky of Middletown. Lecky, a Middletown High School student, plans a career in chemistry. Lecky was awarded a National Merit Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Scholarship.

Noah V. Sobel-Lewin of New Haven. Sobel-Lewin, a Hopkins School of New Haven student, plans a career in economics. Sobel-Lewin was awarded a National Merit University Of Chicago Scholarship.

Burke M. Niles of Noank. Niles, a St. Bernard School (Uncasville) student, was awarded a National Merit Fordham University Scholarship.

John L. Petit of Riverside. Petit, a Greenwich High School student plans a career in finance. Petit was awarded a National Merit Boston College Scholarship.

Daniel Bouzolin of Seymour. Bouzolin, a Seymour High School student plans a career in mechanical engineering. Bouzolin was awarded a National Merit University Of Texas At Dallas Scholarship.

Ishika Choudhary of Simsbury. Choudhary, a Simsbury High School student, plans a career in computer science. Choudhary was awarded a National Merit Northeastern University Scholarship.

Mansi Sharma of Simsbury. Sharma, a Simsbury High School student, plans a career in finance. Sharma was awarded a National Merit Northeastern University Scholarship.

Emily Donofrio of South Glastonbury. Donofrio, a Glastonbury High School student, plans a career in finance. Donofrio was awarded a National Merit Boston College Scholarship.

Abhiram Bhamidipati of Southington. Bhamidipati, a Southington High School student, plans a career in computer science. Bhamidipati was awarded a National Merit Northeastern University Scholarship.

Soumya L. Ganti of Trumbull. Ganti, a Trumbull High School student, plans a career in international relations. Ganti was awarded a National Merit Boston University Scholarship.

Liam Patrick McEniry of Trumbull. McEniry, a Trumbull High School student, plans a career in computer engineering. McEniry was awarded a National Merit Northeastern University Scholarship.

Finian H. McGannon of Westbrook. McGannon, a Westbrook High School student, plans a career in mathematics. McGannon was awarded a National Merit Bowdoin College Scholarship.

Andrew Moy of Westport. Moy, a Staples High School student, plans a career in business administration. Moy was awarded a National Merit University Of Richmond Scholarship.

Joshua C. Zhang of Westport. Zhang, a Staples High School student, plans a career in economics. Zhang was awarded a National Merit University Of Chicago Scholarship.

Michael R. Foster of Wethersfield. Foster, a Northwest Catholic High School student, plans a career in medicine. Foster was awarded a National Merit Fordham University Scholarship.

Katherine E. Ginter of Wethersfield. Ginter, a Wethersfield High School student, plans a career in speech/language pathology. Ginter was awarded a National Merit University Of Texas At Dallas Scholarship.

Established in the 1950s, the National Merit Scholarship Programand its corporate and college sponsors seek to “enhance educational opportunities for America’s scholastically talented youth and to encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.”