June 2, 2021

National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced over 3,100 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities. Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. An additional group of scholars will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship recipients in the 2021 competition to nearly 4,000.

This year, 160 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. Sponsor colleges and universities include 85 private and 75 public institutions located in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners are a part of the distinguished group of about 7,500 high school seniors who will receive National Merit
Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth nearly $30 million. 

Congratulations to these Plano ISD scholarship recipients:

• Alexander J. Boyd, Plano East Senior High, probable career field: computer science, National Merit Brigham Young University scholarship

Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah), sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon), has a student body of 25,000 from all states and over 60 foreign countries. Its twelve colleges, graduate school, and law school provide a broad choice of curricula in over 180 majors. The university produces graduates who have a high acceptance rate into professional and graduate schools and are also highly sought after by business, industry, and education.

• John S. Choo, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: computer science, National Merit Texas A&M University scholarship

Texas A&M University is chartered by Congress as the state's land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university. Extraordinary faculty and academic resources annually place Texas A&M among the top 10 producers of sponsored research, according to the National Science Foundation, in disciplines ranging from the humanities and social sciences to the life sciences and engineering. Outstanding undergraduates from all 50 states and over 100 nations have access to more than 150 degree programs.

• Noah Youngshin Chung, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: international relations, National Merit Wheaton College scholarship

Wheaton College, a Christian liberal arts college, is located 25 miles west of Chicago. Committed to the integration of faith and learning, Wheaton enrolls 2,300 undergraduates. The college offers 35 majors in the Arts & Sciences and 6 in its Conservatory of Music. The graduate school enrolls 350 students in Master's and Doctoral programs.

• Brendan D. Ehrman, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: computer science, National Merit Texas A&M University scholarship

Texas A&M University is chartered by Congress as the state's land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university. Extraordinary faculty and academic resources annually place Texas A&M among the top 10 producers of sponsored research, according to the National Science Foundation, in disciplines ranging from the humanities and social sciences to the life sciences and engineering. Outstanding undergraduates from all 50 states and over 100 nations have access to more than 150 degree programs.

• James E. Fawcett, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: computer science, National Merit Oklahoma scholarship

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a doctoral degree-granting research university serving the educational, cultural, economic, and health care needs of the state, region, and nation. Through its 19 colleges, OU provides comprehensive learning experiences in over 300 total majors at the baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and professional levels. Today OU has some 30,000 students representing 50 states and over 100 countries. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

• Kanishk Garg, Plano East Senior High, probable career field: computer programming, National Merit University of Texas at Dallas scholarship

The University of Texas at Dallas attracts a diverse group of nearly 30,000 students from over 100 countries. With more than 140 academic programs across eight schools, UT Dallas is a rapidly growing public research university that includes top-ranked programs in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and business. UT Dallas continually graduates well-rounded citizens whose education has prepared them for rewarding lives and productive careers.

• Wesley Geng, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: dentistry, National Merit Boston University scholarship

Boston University is a comprehensive, non-sectarian, coeducational, private research university. With over 34,000 students from more than 130 countries, 17 schools and colleges, and over 300 programs of study, the University comprises a remarkable range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs built on a strong foundation of the liberal arts and sciences.

• Molly J. Holsinger, Plano Senior High, probable career field: politics, National Merit University of Southern California scholarship

The University of Southern California is private, coeducational, and nonsectarian, and is located in the heart of the city of Los Angeles. Undergraduate enrollment is nearly 14,000 students. A College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is complemented by 19 professional and graduate schools offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. Graduate enrollment is about 12,000.

• Tanvi G. Kulkarni, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: information technology, National Merit Emory University scholarship

Emory College is the undergraduate division of Emory University, a private, coeducational university located in suburban Atlanta. With over 3,000 students and a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, the college provides the advantages of individual attention plus the resources of a major university. Emory also offers undergraduate schools of Business Administration and Nursing, and graduate schools of Arts and Sciences, Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Allied Health, and Theology.

• Tisha Nakakes-Nguyen, Plano Senior High, probable career field: biology, National Merit University of Texas at Dallas scholarship

The University of Texas at Dallas attracts a diverse group of nearly 30,000 students from over 100 countries. With more than 140 academic programs across eight schools, UT Dallas is a rapidly growing public research university that includes top-ranked programs in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and business. UT Dallas continually graduates well-rounded citizens whose education has prepared them for rewarding lives and productive careers.

• Aashna Pathi, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: biology, National Merit University of Texas at Dallas scholarship

The University of Texas at Dallas attracts a diverse group of nearly 30,000 students from over 100 countries. With more than 140 academic programs across eight schools, UT Dallas is a rapidly growing public research university that includes top-ranked programs in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and business. UT Dallas continually graduates well-rounded citizens whose education has prepared them for rewarding lives and productive careers.

• Patrick D. Premilan, Plano East Senior High, probable career field: investment banking, National Merit University of Texas at Dallas scholarship

The University of Texas at Dallas attracts a diverse group of nearly 30,000 students from over 100 countries. With more than 140 academic programs across eight schools, UT Dallas is a rapidly growing public research university that includes top-ranked programs in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and business. UT Dallas continually graduates well-rounded citizens whose education has prepared them for rewarding lives and productive careers.

• Juliette N. Reeder, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: electrical engineering, National Merit Oklahoma State University scholarship

Oklahoma State University, a land-grant institution, has three goals: to instruct, to do research, and to offer educational assistance to the public through extension. The university offers Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees in a large number of fields as well as the professional DVM degree. Enrollment is approximately 22,500, and over 1,000 full-time teaching staff are employed at the main campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

• Rachel E. Simms, Plano East Senior High, probable career field: engineering, National Merit Texas A&M University scholarship

Texas A&M University is chartered by Congress as the state's land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university. Extraordinary faculty and academic resources annually place Texas A&M among the top 10 producers of sponsored research, according to the National Science Foundation, in disciplines ranging from the humanities and social sciences to the life science

• Gwyneth T. Svatek, Plano Senior High, probable career field: materials science, National Merit Texas A&M University scholarship

Texas A&M University is chartered by Congress as the state's land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university. Extraordinary faculty and academic resources annually place Texas A&M among the top 10 producers of sponsored research, according to the National Science Foundation, in disciplines ranging from the humanities and social sciences to the life sciences and engineering. Outstanding undergraduates from all 50 states and over 100 nations have access to more than 150 degree programs.

• Matthew Xu, Plano Senior High, probable career field: physical therapy, National Merit Boston University scholarship

Boston University is a comprehensive, non-sectarian, coeducational, private research university. With over 34,000 students from more than 130 countries, 17 schools and colleges, and over 300 programs of study, the University comprises a remarkable range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs built on a strong foundation of the liberal arts and sciences.

• Griffyn R. Young, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: civil engineering, National Merit Texas A&M University scholarship

Texas A&M University is chartered by Congress as the state's land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university. Extraordinary faculty and academic resources annually place Texas A&M among the top 10 producers of sponsored research, according to the National Science Foundation, in disciplines ranging from the humanities and social sciences to the life sciences and engineering. Outstanding undergraduates from all 50 states and over 100 nations have access to more than 150 degree programs.

• Peter J. Yu, Plano West Senior High, probable career field: computer science, National Merit University of Texas at Dallas scholarship

The University of Texas at Dallas attracts a diverse group of nearly 30,000 students from over 100 countries. With more than 140 academic programs across eight schools, UT Dallas is a rapidly growing public research university that includes top-ranked programs in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and business. UT Dallas continually graduates well-rounded citizens whose education has prepared them for rewarding lives and productive careers.