Dozens of Nebraska students were announced Monday as winners of prestigious National Merit Scholarships, joining the thousands of recipients nationwide.
Nearly 70 students from across Nebraska — from the state’s Panhandle to communities along the eastern state line — earned the awards, which are given to high-performing students annually by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Students are selected based on SAT scores, academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
Winners of the college-sponsored awards are chosen by officials from each respective university. Recipients are provided a scholarship of $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years to attend the institution financing the award.
Here are central Nebraska’s college-sponsored scholarship recipients:
Northwest High School
Elliott Balcom, Wichita State University
HASTINGSSt. Cecilia High School
Samuel Hoops, University of South Florida
HENDERSON Heartland
Community School
Austin Schmidt, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
KEARNEYKearney Catholic
High School
Jackson Dunham, University of Oklahoma
Kearney High School
Emma Heacock, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Leah Christen, a freshman studying agricultural education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, makes and sells moisturizers, lip balms and soaps made with beef tallow through her company, Grassland Goods.
 

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