Three Wilmette Students Win National Merit Scholarships

WILMETTE, IL — A pair of recent New Trier High School graduates and one from Loyola Academy earned college-sponsored National Merit scholarships, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced Monday. The organization named the three college-bound scholars, all Wilmette residents, among the year's final group of National Merit finalists.

Christopher R. Hara graduated Loyola and received a scholarship to Indiana University in Bloomington. He intends to pursue a career in the world of finance.

Edward J. Lee graduated New Trier and received a scholarship to Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He intends to pursue a career in the field of mathematics.

Nicole J. Montenegro graduated New Trier and received a scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She has a probable career field in aerospace engineering.

College-sponsored scholarships awarded by the organization provide between $500 and $2,500 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the sponsoring institution.

About 4,100 such National Merit scholarships are awarded from 173 colleges and universities, including 78 private schools and 78 public ones in 43 states and Washington, D.C., according to the nonprofit.

Winners are selected from among about 15,000 National Merit finalists by school officials from each sponsoring college or university.

Established in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation is an Evanston-based nonprofit that receives most of the funding for its scholarships from about 400 college and corporate sponsors.

Monday's announcement of more than 540 winners of college-sponsored scholarships is the final group of National Merit Scholars to be named in 2019. It brings the total number of winners to over 7,600, who will receive more than $31 million in scholarships.

National Merit last fall named 31 members of New Trier's class of 2019 as semifinalists in the program. Earlier this year, the nonprofit awarded corporate-sponsored scholarships to five students, college-sponsored scholarships to five others and $2,500 cash scholarships from its own funds to five more.

At Loyola, seven seniors were named semifinalists last year. One was awarded a corporate-sponsored scholarship and one a $2,500 cash scholarship.

Earlier:

• 5 New Trier Seniors Win College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships
• New Trier Seniors Win National Merit Cash Scholarships
• 5 New Trier Students Awarded Corporate-Sponsored National Merit Scholarships
• 31 New Trier Students Named National Merit Semifinalists