District Five student named National Achievement Scholarship Winner
April 13, 2015
IRMO, SC – A Lexington-Richland School District Five student has been named a winner of a prestigious national scholarship for scholastically talented African-American students.
Irmo High School senior Alexandria Waddell is among the 800 winners of this year’s National Achievement Scholarship. The awards, totaling over $2 million nationwide, are financed by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and by grants from corporate organizations and professional associations. Waddell will receive a $2,500 scholarship as a winner of this year’s award.
Irmo High School Principal David Riegel said, “Alexandria is a great student, and we are so proud that she is representing our school as a National Achievement Scholar. We know Alexandria will do great things in her life, and we are excited for her and anxious to see where this recognition takes her in the future. The whole Irmo High School family extends its congratulations to Alexandria and her family for this outstanding accomplishment. We are all thrilled for her.”
Nearly 150,000 students entered the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program competition. Awardees were selected based on their Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores, recommendations, essay submissions and academic record among other measures. The 2015 scholarships mark the 51st year of the program, which is conducted by the not-for-profit organization National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Just 23 students in South Carolina earned this year’s National Achievement Scholarships.
(Pictured from left to right: Irmo High School Guidance Director Bob Taylor, Principal David Riegel, Alexandria Waddell, and AP/IB Coordinator and Teacher Diane Padula. Waddell is among the 800 winners of this year’s National Achievement Scholarship.)
