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Local students listed among National Merit Scholarship winners

Posted 5/14/22

Some Scottsdale students are among recipients named on the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s list announced.

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Local students listed among National Merit Scholarship winners

Posted

Some Scottsdale students are among recipients named on the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s list announced.

The second announcement of winners in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program on May 11, according to a press release, the  designees were chosen from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.

NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2,500 scholarships.  Corporations/company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees.

Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university, the release noted.

This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2020 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named semifinalists on a state-representational basis.

By the conclusion of the 2022 program, about 7,500 finalists will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received a total of nearly $28 million in college scholarships.

Local NMSC Recipients:

  • Madalyn S. Palay of Cave Creek 
    Probable career field: Law
    Basis School, Phoenix
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds
  • Devin J. Bansal of Paradise Valley
    Probable career field: Public Policy
    Phoenix Country Day School,
    Paradise Valley
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Daniela A. Castro-Martinez of Paradise Valley 
    Probable career field: Biomedicine
    Phoenix Country Day School,
    Paradise Valley
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds
  • Eric Amkraut of Scottsdale
    Probable career field: Finance
    Desert Mountain H. S., Scottsdale
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Neha Basu of Scottsdale 
    Probable career field: Engineering
    Basis School, Scottsdale
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Ella L. Hamer of Scottsdale 
    Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering
    Basis School, Scottsdale
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship

    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Colin D. Hutton of Scottsdale 
    Probable career field: Music Composition
    Saguaro High School, Scottsdale 
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Dillan A. Patel of Scottsdale 
    Probable career field: Public Health
    Basis School, Scottsdale
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Gina S. Ryu of Scottsdale
    Probable career field: Law
    Basis School, Scottsdale
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Soham Samal of Scottsdale
    Probable career field: Business
    Basis School, Scottsdale
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Rakshak J. Shah of Scottsdale
    Probable career field: Engineering
    Desert Mountain H. S., Scottsdale
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Kaden J. Stillwagon of Scottsdale
    Probable career field: Computer Science
    Brophy College Preparatory
    School, Phoenix
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.
  • Neha Vontela of Scottsdale 
    Probable career field: Medicine
    Basis School, Scottsdale
    National Merit $2,500 Scholarship
    This award is supported by National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.

Founded in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program, NMSC is a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, according to the release. Most scholarships offered each year are underwritten by about 400 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.