2 Arlington Heights Students Earn 2022 National Merit Scholarships

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Two Arlington Heights students were chosen from among 15,000 finalists nationwide to receive 2022 National Merit Scholarships.

Here are the Arlington Heights winners of the scholarships:

• Vishnuh S. Bala, of Buffalo Grove High School, was awarded a scholarship of $2,500, supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds. Probable career field: aerospace engineering.
• Madeline G. Burda, of John Hersey High School, was awarded a scholarship of $2,500, supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds. Probable career field: Mathematics.

The winning students were "judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies," according to a news release from the National Merit Scholarship Program. A committee of high school counselors and college admissions representatives evaluated each finalist's academic record, scores on the Preliminary SAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, essay submissions, letters of recommendation and involvement in their communities.

When the 2022 National Merit Scholarship program comes to a close, some 7,500 finalists will have been chosen as Merit Scholars, receiving a total of close to $28 million in scholarships to attend accredited colleges and universities throughout the United States.