Six TJHSST Students Receive National Merit Scholarships

Six Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology students are now Merit Scholarship award winners.

National Merit Scholarship awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually to winners for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the recipient’s scholarship, according to the news release from Fairfax County Public Schools.

The TJHSST winners, their proposed career field and their sponsoring college are: 

• Laura Handley, computer science, National Merit Virginia Tech Scholarship.
• Brett McLean, engineering, National Merit Virginia Tech Scholarship.
• William Pyrak, aerospace engineering, National Merit Virginia Tech Scholarship.
• Martin Scherr, physics, National Merit Michigan State University Scholarship.
• Jeremy Weller, chemistry, National Merit University of Chicago Scholarship.
• Marc Wechsler, chemical engineering, National Merit Georgia Institute of Technology Scholarship.

All winners are evaluated on the following criteria: academic record, school and community activities, goals, interests, SAT scores and a recommendation from a high school official.

The final group of scholarship recipients from the class of 2011 will be named in July. Out of the 2,900 National Merit finalists, a total of 14 FCPS students were chosen.