FAIRFIELD, CT — Two Fairfield students have been awarded corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships under the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s annual National Merit Scholarship Program, officials announced on Wednesday.
According to the merit scholarship corporation, roughly 830 “distinguished high school seniors have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 124 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations.” Also under the corporate-sponsored scholarship umbrella are awards supported by several foundations and individual donors who have established endowments with the merit scholarship program.
Wednesday’s announcement is the first group of winners in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
The two students with ties to Fairfield who were awarded corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships are:
Fairfield resident Caroline Aerin Gouley, a senior at Academy of Our Lady of Mercy at Lauralton Hall in Milford, is the recipient of the National Merit Bristol Myers Squibb Scholarship. Gouley’s probable career field is Public Health:
Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Inc., annually awards scholarships to the children of active, full-time employees of Bristol Myers Squibb U.S. divisions and subsidiaries. Bristol Myers Squibb is a research-based, diversified health care company whose principal businesses are pharmaceuticals, consumer products, nutritionals, and medical devices.
Wilton resident Samik Soi, a senior at Fairfield College Preparatory School, is the recipient of the National Merit James E. Casey Scholarship. Soi’s probable career field is Political Science:
The UPS Foundation was created in 1951 by United Parcel Service. National Merit James E. Casey Scholarships and James E. Casey Scholarships for children of United Parcel Service employees are supported by the UPS Foundation, in honor of the founder of United Parcel Service.
“Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors,” officials wrote in a statement. “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.”
The majority of the 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, according to the merit scholarship corporation. Some of the awards 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.
Funding for the corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships is provided by corporate organizations that represent nearly all sectors of American industry, according to officials. Sponsors from the business community have underwritten awards offered in all 70 competitions, expending or committing nearly $882 million to support the intellectual development of the nation’s scholastically talented youth.
From the National Merit Scholarship Program announcement:
High school juniors entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. In September 2024, 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 one percent of the nation’s seniors.
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.
By the conclusion of the 2025 competition, more than 6,930 Finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling nearly $26 million. Winners are the Finalist candidates judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
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