Arlington Height Area Students Earn National Merit Scholarship

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — The National Merit Scholarship Corporation released the names of the first group of winners in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, which includes students from the Arlington Heights area.

According to the Evanston-based organization, approximately 830 distinguished high school seniors have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 124 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations. Also included in this category are awards supported by several foundations and individual donors who have established endowments with NMSC.

The winners from the Arlington Heights area include:

• Mithum Ganapathy Arun, Hoffman Estates, William Fremd High School (Palatine), National Merit Rockwell Automation Scholarship. Probable career field: academia.
• Owen Kelly, Hoffman Estates, St. Viator High School (Arlington Heights), National Merit Paramount Scholarship. Probable career field: mechanical engineering.
• Anika H. Shinde, Hoffman Estates, Barrington Community High School, National Merit Emerson Electric Co. Scholarship. Probable career field: chemical engineering
• Dylan Bago, Paltine, William Fremd High School (Palatine), National Merit Aon Scholarship. Probable career field: industrial engineering.
• Kevin Hadcokc, Palatine, William Fremd High School (Palatine), National Merit Motorola Solutions Scholarship. Probable career field: biology
• Meera Srivathsa, Palatine, William Fremd High School, Palatine, National Merit Ametek Scholarship. Probable career field: engineering
• Ritej Talluri, Rolling Meadows, William Fremd High School (Palatine), National Merit W.W. Grainger Inc. Scholarship. Probable career field: computer science
• Isaac Eberhardt, Schaumburg, Schaumburg High School, National Merit Motorola Solutions Scholarship. Probable career field: computer science
• Ananya Krishnan, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates High School, National Merit Omron Scholarship. Probable career field: accounting.
• Eddie Zhou, Schaumburg, William Fremd High School (Palatine), National Merit Calmer L. Johnson/John W. Leslie ITW Scholarship. Probable career field: computer science

Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for Finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.

Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.