Polk County Public Schools
Four more 2008 graduates of Polk County high schools were named National Merit Scholars in a July 14 announcement by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The scholarships announced Monday are sponsored by colleges and universities and provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. The names released Monday are the final round of National Merit Scholar announcements for 2008.
For 2008, Polk Public Schools had a total of eight National Merit Scholars. This equals the second-highest total in five years. Polk had eleven National Merit Scholars in 2007 and eight in 2004.
More than 1.4 million students entered the 2008 National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The 2008 National Merit Scholars, including the eight Polk students, represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and are the highest scoring entrants in the country. About 8,200 students nationally attain National Merit Scholar status.
Polk’s National Merit Scholars named on July 14 are listed with their school, residence, probable field of study and college or university that is funding the scholarship.
Polk students previously named as National Merit Scholars in April and May announcements were Monica Bhutiani (Bartow International Baccalaureate), Barbara J. Dinkins (Polk Community College High), Emily A. Trogolo (Bartow International Baccalaureate) and Elizabeth J. Young (Harrison Center For Visual And Performing Arts).
Bhutiani resides in Winter Haven while Dinkins, Trogolo and Young are from Lakeland.