3 HV Seniors Named National Merit Scholars In 1st Round For 2023

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Three high school seniors, from one public and one private school in Westchester and a private school in the Bronx, are the three locals named last week as National Merit Scholars, winning corporate-sponsored grants for college.

It was the first announcement in 2023 by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which will name recipients of National Merit® $2500 Scholarships May 10, and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards on June 7 and July 10.

By the conclusion of this year’s competition, more than 7,140 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth $28 million, contest officials said.

In September 2022, more than 16,000 semifinalists were designated on a state-representational basis in numbers proportional to each state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than 1 percent of the nation’s seniors.

SEE: 166 National Merit Semifinalists In The Hudson Valley

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists had to fulfill requirements to advance to finalist standing. Each semifinalist was asked to complete a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance. From the semifinalist group, over 15,000 met finalist requirements.

These three winners are among 840 of the semifinalists who were awarded corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship grants financed by about 107 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations.

• Ava P. Lattimore of Scarsdale, who attends the Hackley School in Tarrytown, won the PepsiCo Foundation scholarship. Her probable career field: Mathematics.
• Benjamin Wu of Scarsdale, who attends the Horace Mann School in The Bronx, won the PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. scholarship. His probable career field is medicine.
• Reilly J. Snyder, who attends Mamaroneck High School, won a National Merit Pfizer, Inc. Scholarship. Snyder's probable career field is business.

Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.

Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.