Seven Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) 2011 graduates – six from Eleanor Roosevelt High School and one from Oxon Hill High School – were winners in the 2011 National Achievement and National Merit Scholarship Programs. More than 160,000 African American high school seniors competed for National Achievement Scholarships, and 800 finalists will share awards totaling more than $2 million dollars. Approximately 15,000 students from around the country competed for National Merit Scholarships, and a total of $35 million in awards will be distributed among 7,800 graduates.

“Our students continue to excel academically through scholarship programs and in the classroom,” said Dr. William R. Hite, Jr., Superintendent of Schools. “I am very proud of them for receiving these awards, and wish them all the best as they go on to attend college this fall."

The following PGCPS graduates were selected for National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship awards, which are awarded on a regional basis and include corporate-sponsored awards:
   
    •    Obinna Obinech, Eleanor Roosevelt High School
    •    Natasha Scott, Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Scholarship underwritten by the Xerox Foundation)
    •    Xavier Thompson, Eleanor Roosevelt High School
    •    Andrew Shaw, Oxon Hill High School

The following graduates from Eleanor Roosevelt High School received National Merit Scholarships, which provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years:

    •    Rhiannon Aguilar – National Merit University of Maryland Scholarship
    •    Adnan Choudhary – National Merit University of Maryland Scholarship
    •    Alexandra Pierce – National Merit Washington University in St. Louis Scholarship

For more information on National Achievement and National Merit scholarships, visit the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) website at www.nationalmerit.org.