CHARLESTON, W.Va. _ Nearly 100 West Virginia high school students have been named National Merit semifinalists, while three outstanding black students have been named National Achievement semifinalists. Both awards are part of the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Julian Nwoko of Morgantown High School in Monongalia County, Mikhael King of Jefferson High School in Jefferson County and Aaron Hutchins of Wheeling Park High School in Ohio County were among 1,600 academically promising black American high school seniors to be named National Achievement semifinalists. They will compete for approximately 800 scholarships worth about $2.5 million to be awarded next spring.  

Meanwhile, 82 public school students and 14 private or parochial school students were named semifinalists for the National Merit academic award. Nationally, approximately 16,000 students were named semifinalists, less than one percent of all U.S. high school seniors.  

George Washington High School in Kanawha County led the state with 14 semifinalists, followed by Morgantown High School in Monongalia County with 13; Bridgeport High School in Harrison County had eight, while Fairmont High School in Marion County, University High School in Monongalia County and Wheeling Park in Ohio County had four each. Woodrow Wilson High School in Raleigh County, Capital High School in Kanawha County, John Marshall High School in Marshall County, Huntington High School in Cabell County, Hurricane High School in Putnam County, Greenbrier East in Greenbrier County, Parkersburg High School in Wood County, Princeton High School in Mercer County, St. Albans High School in Kanawha County, St. Marys High School in Pleasants County and Doddridge County High School had two each.

Bluefield High School in Mercer County, Buckhannon-Upshur High in Upshur County, Westside High School in Wyoming County, Liberty High School in Raleigh County, Grafton High School in Taylor County, Preston High School in Preston County, Martinsburg High School in Berkeley County, Oak Hill High School in Fayette County, Cabell-Midland High School in Cabell County, Pickens School in Randolph County, Ripley High School in Jackson County, Jefferson High School in Jefferson County and Braxton County High School each had one semifinalist.

Other schools with semifinalists were Charleston Catholic High School in Kanawha County, Calvary Christian School in Marion County, Wheeling Central Catholic High School and Linsly School, both located in Ohio County.   

These scholastically talented high school students will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards worth about $34 million. The awards will be offered next spring.  

To become a finalist, students must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the school principal and earn SAT scores that confirm earlier qualifying test performance. The student, along with a school official, must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes the student’s self-descriptive essay and information about his or her participation and leadership in school and community activities.  

For more information, visit www.nationalmerit.org.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.