Skokie Student Awarded National Merit Scholarship

SKOKIE, IL — A Niles North High School senior was named a winner of a college-sponsored National Merit scholarship Wednesday. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the first group of about 4,100 recipients of the scholarships, which are selected by sponsor colleges from among 2019 National Merit finalists who plan to attend the schools.

Maryarita Kobotis, of Skokie, intends to pursue a career in the field of law and was awarded a scholarship to Northwestern University.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is an Evanston-based nonprofit established in 1955. Most of its scholarship funding is provided by about 400 college and corporate sponsors. The college-sponsored scholarships provide between $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study. This year, National Merit expects to award more than $31 million to about 7,600 high school seniors.

Last fall, National Merit announced two Niles North students among the semifinalists for the scholarships and earlier this spring, it announced the winners of corporate-sponsored scholarships and the $2,500 scholarships from its own funds, including one to a Niles West student from Lincolnwood. The group plans to announce a second group of winners of college-sponsored scholarships in July.