Twenty-eight Oregon seniors have won one of the most prestigious academic awards for high schoolers, the $2,500 National Merit Scholarship.
Nearly all of the winners are heading to college with plans to study science, technology, engineering or math.
The winners of the highly competitive $2,500 scholarship are judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success of all National Merit Scholars, according to the scholarship organization. A committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors select the winners based on their standardized test scores, school and community leadership, grades, class difficulty, an essay and a recommendation letter.
