2 Newton Students Win 2022 National Merit Scholarships

NEWTON, MA — Two Newton high school seniors have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Steven Gao and William McNally, both seniors at Newton North High School, are two of approximately 1,000 students who have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 136 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations.

Gao will receive a scholarship sponsored by Marsh McLennan and plans to study computer science. McNally will receive a scholarship from Aon and plans to study engineering.

The corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for Finalists who are children of their employees, residents of communities the company serves, or plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.

Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

This is the first announcement of National Merit Scholars in 2022. NMSC will name recipients of National Merit $2,500 Scholarships on May 11 and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards on June 1 and July 11.

By the conclusion of this year’s competition, about 7,500 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $28 million.