The Nashua National Merit $2,500 Scholarship Winners

NASHUA, NH — Two students have been named winners of the 2019 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship. The merit scholar winners, announced Wednesday, were among 2,500 winners nationwide and were selected from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists.

Wednesday’s announcement is the second group of winners to be announced this year. In April, more than 1,000 recipients of the corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship were named.

A panel of college admissions officers and high school counselors judged the students based on their accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college courses, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation said in a release. The judges looked at grades, difficulty of courses, standardized test scores, contributions and leadership both in school and in the community, an essay and a recommendation from a high school official.

The number of winners in each state was proportional to the state’s share of the nation’s graduating high school seniors. Additional winners will be named in June and July. By the end of the year, about 7,600 students will have won merit scholarships totaling more than $31 million. The money can be put toward any regionally accredited college or university in America.

Here are the winners from Nashua:

• Student: Varun L. Lingadal
• Probable career field: Medicine
• School: Nashua High School North

This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds.

• Student: Deepti H. Srinivasan
• Probable career field: Pediatrics
• School: Nashua High School South

This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds.