Six local high school students were among those receiving National Merit Scholarship’s of $2,500 each.
The six are:
- Anna E. Quinlan, Atherton resident, Menlo-Atherton High School; Probable career field: Bioinformatics
- Thomas M. Woodside, Atherton resident, Menlo School; Probable career field: Computer Science
- Caleb M. Dittmar, Menlo Park, The Nueva School of San Mateo; Probable career field: Biology
- Cecilia Hanna, Menlo Park, Menlo-Atherton High School; Probable career field: Academia
- Kevin R. Gottlieb, Portola Valley resident, Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose; Probable career field: Bioinformatics
- Rayan H. Rizvi, Portola Valley resident, Sacred Heart Preparatory School in Atherton; Probable career field: Politics
Anna Quinlan (pictured right) also recently was awarded the Congressional App Challenge by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.
The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
Photo courtesy M-A Chronicle
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