Twenty-seven Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students have won scholarships through the Project Excellence program, which honors the academic achievement of outstanding African American students in the Washington metropolitan area.

Four of the 27 high school seniors will receive four-year college scholarships valued at up to $130,000 each. Fourteen of the students will receive $10,000 scholarships sponsored by various organizations, and nine students will receive $4,000 scholarships supported by Project Excellence funds.

The local students are among 117 Project Excellence winners. They were honored for winning more than $3 million in scholarships at the 13th anniversary awards dinner of the program at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. on May 12. The awards were presented by Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman and Carl T. Rowan, the syndicated columnist who founded Project Excellence in 1987 to encourage and recognize academic excellence among African American high school students.

The four major scholarship winners from MCPS are:

Ken Boxley-Paul Robeson Award at Rutgers University: Stephanie Mason, Springbrook High School

Steve and Barbara Newby-DePaul University Award: Lindsey Bradford, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

George Brooks Scholarship at the University of Missouri at Project: Michael Darrell, Rockville High School

Washington and Lee University-Project Excellence Award: Nicole Davol, Walter Johnson High School

Winners of the $10,000 scholarships are:

Freedom Forum Scholarships: Esther Davies-Venn, Northwest High School; Veronica Joice, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School; Elizabeth Woodson, Montgomery Blair High School

Gannett Foundation Scholarships: Keita de Souza, Seneca Valley High School

Steve and Barbara Newby Scholarships: Etsub Berhanu, Paint Branch High School; Crystal Lyneh, John F. Kennedy High School; Joanna Visser, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School; Gary Yeisley, Quince Orchard High School

Nissan Motor Corp. Scholarships: Carl Harvey, Richard Montgomery High School; Anne Morris, Winston Churchill High School

Project Excellence Scholarships: Amsalu Dabela and Kristen Osborne, Walt Whitman High School; Elizabeth Todd, Montgomery Blair High School

Jules Winkelman Memorial Scholarships: Temitope Fadiran, Thomas S. Wootton High School

Winners of the $4,000 scholarship are:

Project Excellence Scholarships: Brooktiete Asseres, John F. Kennedy High School; Manna Beyene, Winston Churchill High School; Sierra Correa, Quince Orchard High School; Tiffani De Freitas, Northwest High School; Christine Lofton, Thomas S. Wootton High School; Leslie Robinson and Lynne Robinson, Richard Montgomery High School; Adey Woldeamanuel, Magruder High School; Kenan Zamore, Sherwood High School

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A panel of 10 judges selected the winners for their outstanding academic achievement and ability to communicate from among students nominated by public, private and parochial high schools in the metropolitan Washington area. Panel members came from the fields of education, journalism, law and public affairs and included Paul L. Vance, former MCPS superintendent. Students are nominated for the scholarships by their high schools.