Two Lincoln-Way East Students Receive National Merit Scholarships

FRANKFORT, IL — On Wednesday, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced over 2,900 winners of National Merit scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities.

Two of those winners are Frankfort residents and Lincoln-Way East students Caleb Lee and Garrin Donovan. Caleb received a National Merit Hillsdale College Scholarship and plans to study law; and Garrin received a National Merit Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Scholarship, and plans to study computer science, according to National Merit.

These scholarships provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study, according to a release. An additional group of scholars will be announced in July, National Merit said.

This year, 146 colleges and universities sponsored the Merit Scholarship awards. The winners announced today are part of a group of more than 6,930 high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth nearly $26 million, according to a release.

To compete for Merit scholarship awards, students had to be named semifinalists based on scores of the PSAT/NMSQT. Then, they had to submit a detailed application, write an essay, earn qualifying SAT or ACT scores, and be endorsed and recommended by a high school official.