Award Recognizes Academically Promising African American Students

Twenty-eight Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) seniors have been selected as semifinalists for a National Achievement Scholarship. The scholarship program, administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, recognizes academically promising African American students across the nation and awards college scholarships to hundreds of these students every year.

More than 160,000 students requested consideration for the National Achievement Scholarship Program and 1,600 were named as semifinalists. Semifinalists are chosen based on their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) during their junior year. Approximately 800 students will be awarded with scholarships next spring.

Last year, 21 MCPS students from seven schools were named as semifinalists and 13 received scholarships.  This year, the semifinalists represent 15 high schools throughout MCPS.

Overall, MCPS students account for one-third of the private and public school semifinalists in Maryland.

The MCPS semifinalists are:

Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School
·    Nailah U. Harper-Malveaux
·    Noura B. Jaber
·    Erica E. Turner

Montgomery Blair High School
·    Nicole J. Brimmer
·    Sara Gonzalez
·    Julian J. Lofton
·    Alice W. Mukora

Winston Churchill High School
·    Christine N. Hildreth
·    Maliza W. Namude

Clarksburg High School
·    Mopewa Ogundipe
   
Gaithersburg High School
·    Jordyn R. Chesley

Walter Johnson High School
·    Modibo Camara

Colonel Zadok Magruder High School
·    Sydney A. Butler

Richard Montgomery High School
·    Abigail Demsas
·    Cassandra M. Fowler

Northwest High School
·    Dana K. Robertson

Paint Branch High School
·    Ryan A. Anderson
·    Kendra A. Carson

Poolesville High School
·    Nadia O. Abutaleb
·    Shane Nicholls
·    Mariyam Sheidu
·    Sandow A. Sinai
·    Tishina D. Tittley

Quince Orchard High School
·    Marquise S. Riley

Springbrook High School
·    Brittany M. Lambert
·    Nebiyat Zewdie

Wheaton High School
·    Safiya N. Correia

Thomas S. Wootton High School
·    Preston B. White

National Press Release