2 Southbury Residents Among 2016 National Merit Scholarship Recipients

Southbury’s Hannah C. Beilinson and Kayla Kim are among 2,500 students to win the prestigious 2016 National Merit Scholarship.

Beilinson, of Pomperaug High School, and Kim, of The Taft School in Watertown were chosen from a pool of 15,000 finalists. Beilinson is undecided on a career field while Kim plans to study screenwriting/directing in college.

Winners were judged on their academic records, level of the advanced classes they took, standardized test scores and community involvement.

Applicants were required to write an essay according to the National Merit Scholarship's website. Winners were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors.

Written by Wendy Ann Mitchell