Christopher Bradfield of Davidson and Michael Greshko of Huntersville were among more than 1,900 additional winners of National Merit Scholarships. Meanwhile, summer graduation ceremonies are scheduled Aug. 3 for public high schools.
NATIONAL MERIT WINNERS
The National Merit Scholarships are financed by colleges and universities. Additional winners were announced recently by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Mr. Bradfield, who graduated from North Mecklenburg High School in June, plans to study physics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall.
Mr. Greshko attended Providence Day School in Charlotte and will attend Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., in the fall. He is undecided on his major.
The two local students joined more than 2,800 other college-sponsored award recipients announced in late May. Officials from each sponsor college selected winners from the National Merit Scholarship Program finalists who planned to attend their institutions. College-sponsored awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
About 1.5 million juniors from 22,000 high schools began competing for the scholarships in 2008 when they took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. In September 2009, about 16,000 semifinalists were named based on the test results. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than 1 percent of a state’s seniors.
To become finalists, semifinalists had to submit a detailed scholarship application, which included an essay describing their contributions and leadership activities in high school and the community. They also had to have outstanding academic records, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT scores that confirmed the qualifying test performance. About 15,000 semifinalists attained finalist standing. ore than half of the finalists received National Merit Scholarships.
SUMMER GRADUATIONS AUG. 3
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools will hold two summer commencement ceremonies for high school graduates on Tuesday, Aug. 3.
The ceremonies will be held at Bojangles’ Coliseum, 2700 E. Independence Blvd., at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Hopewell High School’s summer graduates will participate in the 9 a.m. ceremony. North Mecklenburg High School’s summer graduates will participate in the 11:30 a.m. ceremony.
Other schools participating in the 9 a.m. ceremony are: Ardrey Kell, Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, Cato Middle College, East Mecklenburg, Hawthorne, Mallard Creek, Providence, South Mecklenburg, Vance, E.E. Waddell and West Mecklenburg high schools.
Other schools participating in the 11:30 a.m. ceremony are: Garinger Community of Schools, Harding University, Independence, Myers Park, Northwest School of the Arts, Olympic Community of Schools, Performance Learning Center and West Charlotte high schools.
For security reasons and to keep the focus on graduates, guests will not be allowed to bring the following items into the graduation ceremonies: flowers, duffel bags, fanny packs, backpacks, gifts, balloons, air horns and noisemakers. Guests attending the graduations also will be checked with a metal detector prior to entering. Parking is free and doors open one hour before each graduation begins. There will be no reserved seating.
