1 Port Washington Student Wins National Merit Scholarship

PORT WASHINGTON, NY--One Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School student was recognized as a recipient of the 2019 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship. The merit scholar winners were announced on Wednesday by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Leah E. Taylor was one of 2,500 winners nationwide selected from a group of over 15,000 finalists. Taylor's probable career field is international law and is the lone winner from Port Washington.

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.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.