Four Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) seniors are among about 800 students nationwide who have won awards in the 2009 National Achievement Scholarship Program for African American students.

The winners were selected from more than 150,000 African American students nationwide who participated in the program, which is privately financed and conducted annually by the nonprofit National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The four MCPS winners are among 48 students in Maryland who will receive awards this year.

MCPS winners of $2,500 National Achievement scholarships and their schools are:

Clarksburg High School
Abiye L. Ibiebele

John F. Kennedy High School
Richard A. Adjogah

Richard Montgomery High School
Abiola D. Laniyonu

Northwood High School
Joseph E. Walburn


Since the first Achievement Scholars were named in 1964, more than 29,500 African American students have received scholarships worth more than $93 million for college undergraduate study.