PLEASANT HILL, CA—Fourteen Contra Costa County high school seniors were among 2,500 students named National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) last week.
“Congratulations to these 14 amazing students who have illustrated the exceptional academic standards in this county,” Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said. “The students, their families and their school communities should be proud of this accomplishment.”
Campolindo High School in Moraga, Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon, Miramonte High School in Orinda, and Monte Vista High School in Danville all had students among the scholarship winners. One winner was homeschooled.
National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
These scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY $2500 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
CAMPOLINDO HIGH SCHOOL
Christopher W. Seo
Naina Srivastava
Yu Xin Wang
DOUGHERTY VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
Nidhi Gaonkar
Shirin Kaur Grewal
Anna E. Lau
Taneesh V. Matharasi
Ananya Pinnamaneni
MIRAMONTE HIGH SCHOOL
Cameron Corbin Berg
Nicole Y. Guo
MONTE VISTA HIGH SCHOOL
Sheldon U. Tan
Adithya Ramesh
Hannah Abigail Yang
HOMESCHOOL
Benjamin G. Klieger
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About Contra Costa County Office of Education
One of 58 counties in California, Contra Costa County (CCCOE) has the 11th largest public-school student population in the state (approximately 169,225 students). Officially established in 1932, CCCOE has a long history of providing direct services to some of our county's most vulnerable students, including young people who are incarcerated, homeless, or in foster care, as well as students who have severe physical or emotional challenges.
CCCOE also provides support services to schools and school districts in Contra Costa County; services that can be handled most effectively and economically on a regional basis rather than by each of the county's 286 schools or
18 school districts. These services range from budget approval and fiscal support to technology infrastructure, communication support, and high-level professional development opportunities for educators. CCCOE maintains a website at
www.cocoschools.org.
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