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Four Ocala high school graduates were just awarded four-year, National Merit Scholarships that they will all use at the University of Florida this fall.
On Wednesday, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced its list of 2,900 winners for its National Merit Scholarships.
Each scholarships between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.
This year, nearly 150 universities and colleges are underwriting scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program.
In Ocala, four students were awarded scholarships from the organization: Gianna Manuela Bejarano (Homeschool), Cody Lu (Forest High School), and Sanjay Karthik and Rachel L. Milbrandt, who both attended Vanguard High School.All four individuals will attend the University of Florida.
Bejarano plans to pursue a career in medicine. Karthik, who was awarded the Bronze Cross from the Legion of Valor, which is the most prestigious medal bestowed to members of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, plans to pursue a career in aerospace engineering.
Lu plans to pursue computer science and Milbrandt plans to pursue biomedical engineering, according to the NMSC.
The NMSC says it will announce an additional group of scholars in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored scholarship recipients in the 2025 competition to more than 3,600.
At the conclusion of this year’s competition, more than 6,930 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $26 million. Ocala’s students continue to shine each and every academic year.
Ocala students continue to shine on the national stage, making their hometown proud.
Another local student, Angelina Kovalchuk, won a National Merit Scholarship earlier this season. Kovalchuk has her sights set on a career in neuroscience.
Leave your words of encouragement with a comment or a letter to the editor for these outstanding Ocala area students who are making their community proud.
