These Coast students were named National Merit semifinalists
The National Merit Scholarship Corp. released a list of semifinalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship program.
Several students from the Coast made the list.
About 16,000 high school seniors across the country made the list. All have an opportunity to compete for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million. The scholarship recipients will be announced next spring.
Semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists from Mississippi is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
The NMSC said about 90 percent of semifinalists, or 15,000, are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a scholarship, earning the title of Merit Scholar.
About 1.6 million juniors from more than 22,000 high schools entered the program by taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Merit Scholars are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin or religious preference, according to the NMSC.
Justin Vicory: 228-896-2326, @justinvicory
Coast semifinalists and planned course of study in college:
Bay High School
Jake W. Frommeyer, aerospace engineering
St. Stanislaus, Bay St. Louis:
Leyton A. Janowsky, engineering science
Biloxi High School
Justin D. Peine, biomedical sciences
D’Iberville High School
Kameron B. Morgan, classics and classical languages, literature and linguistics
St. Patrick Catholic High School, Biloxi
Julia L. Hancock, engineering
Gautier High School
Gabrielle M. Humber, biomedical engineering
Gulfport High School
James F. Hewes, graphic design
John T. Marquez, chemical engineering
Daniel L. Powell, computer engineering
Hancock High School
Amy E. Keith, biological sciences
Marie A. Konopacki, undecided
Timothy A. Papania, computer and information sciences
Harrison Central High School
Timothy Stoner, pre-med
East Central High School
Emily Byars, drama and theater arts
Sarah E. Eyre, aerospace engineering
Pascagoula High School
Amelia K. Lawrence, pre-med
Pass Christian High School
Molly L. Scafidi, undecided
Alexander S. Walrod, computer information sciences
St. Martin High School
Alyssa J. Britton, neuroscience
Vancleave High School
Dillon W. Hunt, theology and religious vocations
This story was originally published September 16, 2016 at 5:00 AM with the headline "These Coast students were named National Merit semifinalists."