Bolingbrook Senior Awarded National Merit Scholarship

BOLINGBROOK, IL — A Downers Grove South High School senior from Bolingbrook is one of 2,600 high school seniors awarded a college-sponsored National Merit scholarship, the organization announced Wednesday. Shiven Patel, who will study cybersecurity, earned a National Merit Purdue University scholarship.

According to the organization, these scholarships are financed by U.S. colleges and universities. The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution.

Additional recipients of college-sponsored awards will be announced in July, the organization said. The winners announced on Wednesday are part of a group of about 7,500 high school seniors who will receive National Merit scholarships.

Winners are picked based on results from the preliminary SAT, roles in school and extracurricular activities, a recommendation from a school official and a student essay.