National Achievement Scholarship Program

1560 Sherman Avenue, Suite 200, Evanston, Illinois 60201-4897 (847) 866-5100

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

April 8, 2015 Announcement
Contact:

Eileen Artemakis or Matthew Budreau

Public Information
National Merit Scholarship Corporation

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

(847) 866-5100
mediainfo@nmerit.net
www.nationalmerit.org

Advance: For release on Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Note to editors: National Achievement Scholarship winners in your state
are listed alphabetically by city following this press release. News media are
encouraged to contact high school principals for additional information about
these outstanding students.
This material is prepared solely for news media to announce the names of
Achievement Scholar designees; its use for any other purpose is prohibited.

National Achievement Scholarship Winners

(Evanston, Illinois) Today, National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the
names of approximately 800 outstanding Black American high school seniors who have won
Achievement Scholarship awards through the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
These awards, totaling over $2 million, are financed by grants from 30 corporate organizations
and professional associations, and by National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
The National Achievement Scholarship Program is a privately financed academic
competition established in 1964 specifically to honor scholastically talented Black American
youth and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding participants in
each annual competition. By the conclusion of the 2015 program, which marks the 51st annual
competition, over 34,200 participants will have received scholarships for undergraduate study
worth about $108 million. The program is conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation,
a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance.
The Achievement Scholar designees announced today include 700 recipients of National
Achievement $2500 Scholarships. All students who advanced to the Finalist level in the
2015 competition were considered for these single-payment scholarships, which were awarded
on a regional representation basis in proportion to the population of Black Americans in each
geographic region.
-more-

Add one
National Achievement Scholarship Winners

About 100 Scholars are winners of corporate-sponsored Achievement Scholarship

awards. These winners were selected from Finalists who met the specific criteria of their grantor
organizations. Most are residents of an area served by the sponsor, children of the organizations
employees, or Finalists planning to pursue a college major or career the sponsor wishes to
encourage. Almost all corporate-sponsored scholarships are renewable and provide stipends that
can vary from $500 to $10,000 per year, but a few provide a single payment between $2,500
and $5,000.
2015 National Achievement Scholarship Competition
About 150,000 students entered the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program by
requesting consideration in the competition when they took the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as high school juniors. In September 2014,
approximately 1,600 of the highest scorers were named Semifinalists on a regional representation
basis. To continue in the competition, Semifinalists had to fulfill requirements for Finalist
standing, which included having a record of consistently high academic performance; being
endorsed and recommended by an official from their high school; earning SAT scores that
confirmed their PSAT/NMSQT performance; and writing an essay.
From the Semifinalist pool, some 1,300 advanced to the Finalist level, and the 800
National Achievement Scholarship winners were selected from this group of outstanding students.
Achievement Scholar awardees are the Finalist candidates judged to have the strongest record of
accomplishments and greatest potential for academic success in college.
Transition of the Program
The National Achievement Scholarship Program will undergo a transition after the
conclusion of the 2015 program. NMSC is forging a new relationship with UNCF, the nations
largest and most effective minority education organization. UNCF will carry on the name and
legacy of the National Achievement Scholarship Program through a newly designed program
for college graduates. The new program, which will be administered by UNCF and underwritten
by the National Achievement Scholarship Program, will honor and award financial assistance to
high-achieving, underrepresented college graduates.
#

National Achievement, Achievement Scholarship, Achievement Scholar, and the corporate logo
are federally registered service
marks of National Merit Scholarship Corporation. PSAT/NMSQT is a registered trademark of National Merit Scholarship Corporation and
the College Board. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board.

MARYLAND
Claire E. Thompson

-3BETHESDA 20814

Probable career field: Applied Mathematics

2015 Achievement Scholarship winners

SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL,
WASHINGTON, DC

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Obichi Onwukwe

BOWIE 20720

PARKDALE H. S., RIVERDALE

Probable career field: Neurobiology

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Kameron X. Sheppard

BOWIE 20720

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT H. S., GREENBELT

Probable career field: Computer Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Naiya A. Speight-Leggett

CLINTON 20735

MARET SCHOOL, WASHINGTON, DC

Probable career field: Neurobiology

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Ainsley W. Ashman

COLUMBIA 21045

LONG REACH H. S., COLUMBIA

Probable career field: Aerospace Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Victoria I. Brown

COLUMBIA 21044

ATHOLTON H. S., COLUMBIA

Probable career field: Finance

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Candace B. Okumko

COLUMBIA 21046

OAKLAND MILLS H. S., COLUMBIA

Probable career field: Computer Science

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT NMSC SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Hunter S. Richardson

COLUMBIA 21045

OAKLAND MILLS H. S., COLUMBIA

Probable career field: Biomedical Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Brandon G. Foster

ELDERSBURG 21784

LIBERTY H. S., ELDERSBURG

Probable career field: Surgical Medicine

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Olutosin B. Owoyemi

ELLICOTT CITY 21043

HOWARD H. S., ELLICOTT CITY

Probable career field: Molecular Biology

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Jasmine C. Whims

FREDERICK 21701

FREDERICK H. S., FREDERICK

Probable career field: Computer Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Moraa B. Marwanga

GAITHERSBURG 20879

RICHARD MONTGOMERY H. S., ROCKVILLE

Probable career field: Environmental Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Blessed Sheriff

GAITHERSBURG 20879

RICHARD MONTGOMERY H. S., ROCKVILLE

Probable career field: Medicine

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Dahlia E. Wilson

GAITHERSBURG 20886

RICHARD MONTGOMERY H. S., ROCKVILLE

Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Elta R. Clarke

HAGERSTOWN 21742

NORTH HAGERSTOWN H. S., HAGERSTOWN

Probable career field: Undecided

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

Maryland (continued)
Christain G. Barnes

-4LA PLATA 20646

2015 Achievement Scholarship winners

NORTH POINT H. S., WALDORF

Probable career field: Aerospace Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Julius Anthony Barriteau

LAUREL 20708

MARET SCHOOL, WASHINGTON, DC

Probable career field: Business Administration

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Jamachi I. Eluchie

LAUREL 20723

HAMMOND H. S., COLUMBIA

Probable career field: Neurosurgery

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Mikal C. Walcott

LAUREL 20723

RESERVOIR H. S., FULTON

Probable career field: Public Policy

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Nicholas P. Whittaker

LAUREL 20724

MOUNT ST. JOSEPH H. S., BALTIMORE

Probable career field: Politics

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Darian H. Rice

MITCHELLVILLE 20716

BROADNECK H. S., ANNAPOLIS

Probable career field: Applied Mathematics

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT NMSC SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Melonee R. Quintanilla

NORTH POTOMAC 20878

RICHARD MONTGOMERY H. S., ROCKVILLE

Probable career field: Architecture

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Abraham F. Kahn

OWINGS MILLS 21117

TOWSON H. S., TOWSON

Probable career field: Physics

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Joshua L. Bell

PRINCE FREDERICK 20678

CALVERT H. S., PRINCE FREDERICK

Probable career field: Pediatrics

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Nicole L. Profit

ROCKVILLE 20852

Probable career field: Business

SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL,

WASHINGTON, DC

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Oluwatomisin A. Sontan

ROCKVILLE 20850

RICHARD MONTGOMERY H. S., ROCKVILLE

Probable career field: Medicine

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Sisanmofe Dorsu

SILVER SPRING 20910

BETHESDA CHEVY CHASE H. S., BETHESDA

Probable career field: Patent Law

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Jordan L. Dewar

TAKOMA PARK 20912

Probable career field: Politics

GEORGETOWN VISITATION PREPARATORY

SCHOOL, WASHINGTON, DC

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Arianna B. Neal

UPPER MARLBORO 20772

Probable career field: Medicine

GEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL,

WASHINGTON, DC

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Njuguna Thande

WALDORF 20603

NORTH POINT H. S., WALDORF

Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

Maryland (continued)
Rhasaan T. Bovell

-5WHEATON 20915

2015 Achievement Scholarship winners

NORTHWOOD H. S., SILVER SPRING

Probable career field: Politics

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
Efrem Isaiah Perry, Jr.

WOODSTOCK 21163

HOMESCHOOL

Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT $2500 SCHOLARSHIP

This award is supported by NMSC, which conducts the National Achievement Scholarship Program.