4 Conestoga Students Named National Merit Scholarship Winners

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced the winners of its $2500 scholarship competition, including 10 students from local Chester County schools.

The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees around the country were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Conestoga led the way in Chester County with four winners.

All told, the 10 winners came from 6 different Chester County schools.

Winners are the finalists in each state which are judged by the committee 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 winners are selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who look over an expansive portfolio on each individual student, including academic records, extracurricular activities, standardized test results, leadership skills, an essay, and a letter of recommendation.

In the nearby Chester County area, the following students have been named winners:

• Michelle Xu, Conestoga
• Michael Zhang, Conestoga
• Delphine Mossman, Conestoga
• Michael Li, Conestoga
• Ralph Lawton, Pennsylvania Leadership School, West Chester
• DanaRose Negro, Villa Marie
• Kimber Boekell, Great Valley
• Lillian Wang, Great Valley
• Ajmain Hossain, West Chester East
• Leif Taranta, Westtown School, West Chester