10 Gwinnett Grads Receive $2500 National Merit Scholarships

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced Wednesday that 10 graduating seniors from Gwinnett County have been awarded $2,500 scholarships as part of its 2020 program.

The scholarship winners are:

• Vraj J. Patel, Buford — Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Lawrenceville
• Cassidy Hettesheimer, Dacula — Mill Creek High School, Hoschton
• Eric J. Ahn, Duluth — Lambert High School, Suwanee
• Joan M. Deitsch, Duluth — homeschool
• Amy Xu, Duluth — Northview High School, Duluth
• Albert Wang Zhang, Duluth — Northview High School, Duluth
• Davin W. Shi, Lawrenceville — Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Lawrenceville
• Shalin A. Jain, Norcross — Duluth High School, Duluth
• Tarel D. Dennie, Snellville — Brookwood High School
• Annie W. Pei, Suwanee — Lambert High School, Suwanee
• Mary Wang, Tucker — Parkview High School, Lilburn

National Merit $2,500 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. Georgia has 72 winners out of 2,500 nationwide.

Winners were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high-school counselors who judged information submitted by both finalists and their high schools: academic records, including difficulty of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high-school official.

NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2,500 Scholarships. Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of administrative fees. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.