More National Merit Scholars From Columbia, Clarksville Have Been Named

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Another round of National Merit Scholarships have been awarded. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from more than 15,000 finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit $2,500 scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

The scholars were chosen by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors who considered students' academic records; difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

Congratulations to the following scholars:

Michelle J. Lei of Clarksville, River Hill High School
Probable career field: applied mathematics

Vivian Yao of Clarksville, River Hill High School
Probable career field: biomedical engineering

Thomas J. Baek of Columbia, Atholton High School
Probable career field: psychiatry

Nicholas A. Taber of Columbia, Atholton High School
Probable career field: surgical medicine

Stephanie Wang of Columbia, Atholton High School
Probable career field: public health