East Greenwich Student Wins National Merit Scholarship

EAST GREENWICH, RI — An East Greenwich student is one of this year's college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Spencer J. Wood, a student at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, was chosen out of approximately 16,000 finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Wood received a scholarship sponsored by Vanderbilt University and plans to study politics.

The college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners receive between between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.This year, 160 higher education institutions, including 85 private and 75 public institutions located in 42 states and the District of Columbia, are sponsoring National Merit Scholarships.

Merit Scholars are chosen by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors based on their academic records, standardized test scores, contributions and leadership in school and their communities, an essay, and a recommendation written by a high school official.

By the end of the 2021 competition, approximately 7,500 finalists will have been selected to receive nearly $30 million in awards.