Two from South Bay Named as National Merit Scholars

TORRANCE, CA -- Two students from the South Bay were named as one of this year’s National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced.

They are Ruwanthi N. Ekanayake from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and Daniel Huai-en Wang from West High School.

The pair were among the 2,500 Merit Scholar designees chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2016 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.

These winners 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 including academic record, such as 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.

Winners may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

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