Norcross Grad Receives National Merit Scholarship

A Norcross High graduate is one of the eight Gwinnett students to win the National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarship this summer. 

Geoffrey M. Sangston will be receiving between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study, according to a Gwinnett County Public Schools news release from spokesman Jorge Quintana. Sangston's probable career field is entrepreneurship at the University of Miami.

A total of 1,800 students won the award nationwide, in addition to the 2,500 winners the that National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced in late May, 13 of which were also Gwinnett graduates.

The universities chose the winners from among the finalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. This year, 190 higher education institutions sponsored scholarships through this program.

About 1.5 million students entered the competition last school year as juniors by taking the 2011 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as the initial screening for program entrants. The highest scoring participants in each state were then selected as semifinalists.

Finalists were then selected by a review of the student’s outstanding academic record; scores from two standardized tests; an endorsement/recommendation by a school official; and a self-descriptive essay and information about their participation and leadership in school and community activities.

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