More National Merit Scholars From Ellicott City, Marriotsville 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:

Peter Joseph Banyas of Ellicott City, Howard High School
Probable career field: aerospace engineering

Saniya A. Mahate of Ellicott City, Mount Hebron High School
Probable career field: economics

Ally E. Paik of Ellicott City, Centennial High School
Probable career field: healthcare administration

Sanghyeok Kang of Marriotsville, Century High School
Probable career field: computer science