Kids & Family

Plainfield North Senior Wins National Achievement Scholarship

Sydney Latimore won a $2,500 scholarship.

Submitted by District 202:

Plainfield North High School senior Sydney Latimore is one of about 700 Black American high school seniors nationwide to win a $2,500 scholarship through the 50th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program. 

The National Achievement Scholarship Program is aligned with the National Merit Scholarship Program, which honors students for their academic success.

The scholarships total about $2 million, and are funded through grants from 31 corporate organizations and professional associations, and by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

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To become a finalist, semifinalists and their high schools had to submit a detailed scholarship application including the student’s academic record, school participation and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and honors and awards. 

The National Achievement Scholarship Program is a privately financed academic competition. It was initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students nationwide and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding program participants. 

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To date, about 33,400 young men and women have won achievement scholarships worth about $105 million.

More than 160,000 high school juniors nationwide requested consideration in the 2014 National Achievement Scholarship Program when they took the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.


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