Eleven Orange County high school students were among the more than 2,500 National Merit Scholar winners announced June 3, during the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s third wave of awards this year.
Read more Muhammad Ali’s hometown in Kentucky honors his legacy with a new holiday
The NMSC said it expects to award roughly $24 million in scholarships to about 6,700 students in 2026.
The awards, which are financed by 138 U.S. colleges and universities, are reserved for National Merit finalists who intend to enroll at the sponsoring school. Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 per year, and can be renewed for up to four years of undergraduate study.
Read more Radio scans find no alien tech from the latest interstellar comet
To qualify, students must take the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT as juniors and advance through the semifinalist and finalist categories before competing for the sponsored awards. More than 230 Orange County students were among the 16,000 semifinalists across the country.
Several local winners earned scholarships sponsored by USC and they are hoping to go into careers ranging from clinical psychology to biomedical engineering and entrepreneurship to design.
Read more World Athletics honors track and field promoter Al Franken
The recipients in Orange County, along with their schools, include:
- Daniel Hwang, of Buena Park, Oxford Academy: National Merit USC Scholarship
- Paul Y. Seo, of Fullerton, Orange County School of the Arts: National Merit Vanderbilt University Scholarship
- Xiao Jiang, of Irvine, University High: National Merit USC Scholarship
- Raymond Kuang, of Irvine, Sage Hill High: National Merit USC Scholarship
- Pragnya Ramkumar, of Irvine, Northwood High: National Merit USC Scholarship
- Nicole T. Ye, of Irvine, Northwood High: National Merit Vanderbilt University Scholarship
- Garrett Martin McCormick, of Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo High: National Merit USC Scholarship
- Connor Smith, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Tesoro High: National Merit USC Scholarship
- Hansford B. Warner V, of San Clemente, JSerra Catholic High: National Merit Indiana University Bloomington Scholarship
- Noah Choi, of Yorba Linda, Valencia High: Nation Merit Pomona College Scholarship
- Mikayla Joyce Wang, of Yorba Linda, Yorba Linda High: National Merit USC Scholarship