Exeter, NH (June 5, 2009)—Nineteen seniors from Phillips Exeter Academy have been awarded college-sponsored, Merit and National Achievement Scholarships by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

Max H. de La Bruyère of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Edward B. Elron of Charlottesville, VA; Shelly N. Horwitz of Lexington, MA; Anthony J. Lim of Duluth, GA; Ariella Park of Columbus, OH; Alexander H. Pearlman of Granville, OH; Cecilia A. Sanchez of Denver, CO; and Jeanette J. Wat of Exeter, NH, were each awarded National Merit Scholarships of $2,500. Lim was selected for a special prize—the James E. Casey Scholarship, sponsored by The UPS Foundation.

Three African-American students were each awarded National Achievement Scholarships of $2,500. Kolenge E. Fonge of Cheshire, CT; James D. Haddon of New York, NY; and Kafele R. Kossally of Brooklyn, NY, were among six Exonians named as semifinalists and finalists.

Each Merit Scholarship is sponsored by a college or university, and is awarded upon the student’s acceptance to attend that institution. The National Achievement awards also are given with conditions, including a student’s continued high academic performance.

Nine seniors were named in the 2009 National Hispanic Recognition Program, as either Scholars or Honorable Mentions. Melina L. Harris, of Brookline, MA; Marianne J. Jullian, of Columbus, OH; Kyle C. Randall, of East Hampstead, NH; and Juliet M. Tempest, of Oak Hill, VA, were named Scholars. Ian C. Arena, of Fort Worth, TX; Miguel A. Escobar, of Chicago, IL; Tyler J. Marrero, of Manchester, MA; Sanchez, of Denver, CO; and Vladimir V. Ventura, of Paterson, NJ, were named Honorable Mentions. 

From more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program, close to 8,200 winners were selected from approximately 15,000 finalists. More than 800 National Achievement Scholarships, worth $2.6 million, were awarded from over 150,000 qualified entries and 1,300 finalists. The Hispanic Recognition Program acknowledged 5,000 students, selected from more than 200,000 students who identified themselves as Hispanic. Winners were selected based on PSAT scores, and GPAs of 3.0 and higher. 

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