Winners Named for College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship Awards

May 31, 2009

COLUMBIA, SC – May 29, 2009 – Forty-three seniors from South Carolina’s public high schools are among the more than 2,800 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by colleges and universities across the nation.

Officials of each sponsoring college selected their scholarship winners from among finalists in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution.  The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. 

This year 201 higher education institutions are underwriting scholarship awards through the National Merit program. Sponsoring colleges and universities include 120 private and 81 public institutions located in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

The Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics in Hartsville had three winners of college-sponsored scholarships, as did Dreher High School in Richland District One and Greenville County’s Eastside High.  In addition to the public school winners, 11 other awards went to home-schooled students and students enrolled in private schools.

Another group of scholars will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship recipients in the 2009 competition to over 4,700.
Winners announced thus far are among approximately 8,200 distinguished high school seniors of 2009 who will receive National Merit Scholarships worth $36 million for college undergraduate study.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance and was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct an annual scholarship program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by 500 independent corporate and college sponsors.

SOUTH CAROLINA Public Schools College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners for 2009

Devin S. Kimmerly
Probable career field: Software Engineering
AIKEN HIGH
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Julie K. Jarriel
Probable career field: Secondary Education
T. L. HANNA HIGH (ANDERSON)
FURMAN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Christine D. Noonan (BEAUFORT) 
Probable career field: Veterinary Science
GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS (HARTSVILLE)
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Emily E. Bowerman
Probable career field: Political Science
RIDGE VIEW HIGH (COLUMBIA)
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Chen Ding (BLYTHEWOOD)
Probable career field: Business
RICHLAND NORTHEAST HIGH 
FURMAN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Stephen E. Gregg
Probable career field: Engineering
BLYTHEWOOD HIGH 
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Christopher M. Pasco (BLYTHEWOOD)
Probable career field: Nuclear Physics
SPRING VALLEY HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Rebecca A. Miles (CHERAW)
Probable career field: International Business
GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Ronodeep K. Srimani (CLEMSON)
Probable career field: Medicine
D.W. DANIEL HIGH (CENTRAL)
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP

Philip N. Falls
Probable career field: Pharmacy
CLOVER HIGH SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Artem Aleshin
Probable career field: Engineering
DREHER HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

William S. Dye
Probable career field: Computer Science
RICHLAND NORTHEAST HIGH
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP

Dillon T. Ingram
Probable career field: Theater
DREHER HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Caitlin P. Orr
Probable career field: Media Arts
DREHER HIGH
David A. Prim
Probable career field: Biomedical Engineering
IRMO HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Sarah E. Robbins (CONWAY)
Probable career field: Pharmacy
CAROLINA FOREST HIGH (MYRTLE BEACH)
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Jeanni L. Haas
Probable career field: Education (History)
EASLEY HIGH
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Daniel J. Bernard
Probable career field: Education
NATION FORD HIGH (FORT MILL)
FURMAN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Nicholas B. Caldwell (GREENVILLE)
Probable career field: Engineering
EASTSIDE HIGH (TAYLORS)
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Daniel T. Grier
Probable career field: Computer Science
SOUTHSIDE HIGH (GREENVILLE)
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Justin D. Jensen (GREENVILLE)
Probable career field: Law
EASTSIDE HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Nicolas M. Papin
Probable career field: Computer Programming
GREENVILLE TECHNICAL CHARTER HIGH
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP

Kevin E. Tompkins
Probable career field: Music
WADE HAMPTON HIGH (GREENVILLE)
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER SCHOLARSHIP

Hannah P. Woodard (GREENVILLE)
Probable career field: Genetics
EASTSIDE HIGH
FURMAN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Kirsten M. Lee
Probable career field: Corporate Law
EMERALD HIGH (GREENWOOD)
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Michael T. Twining
Probable career field: Business
RIVERSIDE HIGH (GREER)
WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Robert B. Barnes (IRMO)
Probable career field: Economics
CHAPIN HIGH
FURMAN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Ross D. Gorman
Probable career field: Military/Religious Service
LEXINGTON HIGH
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Benjamin T. Haggard
Probable career field: Electrical Engineering
LEXINGTON HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Kevin W. Lybrand (MOORE)
Probable career field: Engineering
DORMAN HIGH (ROEBUCK)
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Robert R. Creech
Probable career field: Engineering/Computer Science
WANDO HIGH (MOUNT PLEASANT)
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP

Matthew G. Berger
Probable career field: Medicine
SOCASTEE HIGH (MYRTLE BEACH)
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON SCHOLARSHIP

Zachary B. Graham
Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering
SOCASTEE HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA SCHOLARSHIP

Christopher J. Peterman
Probable career field: Computer Engineering/Computer Science
CAROLINA FOREST HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA SCHOLARSHIP

Erin E. Harris
Probable career field: Physical Therapy
NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Randall B. Stewart (PAULINE)
Probable care
er field: Sports/Entertainment Management
DORMAN HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Charles J. Cagle (PELZER)
Probable career field: Computer Science
PALMETTO HIGH (WILLIAMSTON)
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP

George O. Johnston (SIMPSONVILLE)
Probable career field: Education (Mathematics Professor)
GREENVILLE TECHNICAL CHARTER HIGH
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP

Elizabeth A. Messman (SIMPSONVILLE)
Probable career field: Psychology
MAULDIN HIGH
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOLARSHIP

Yancey A. Appling (SIX MILE)
Probable career field: Law
D.W. DANIEL HIGH
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Mary C. Saleeby (SOCIETY HILL)
Probable career field: Biological Science
GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE SCHOLARSHIP

Chelsea E. Harvey
Probable career field: Journalism
SUMMERVILLE HIGH
AUBURN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

Jacquelyn M. Evans (TEGA CAY)
Probable career field: Genetics
FORT MILL HIGH
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP