Three Jefferson Parish Schools students were among the honorees today when the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) released the names of the first group of winners in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Haynes Academy seniors Julia Vedros and Luke Vedros and Patrick F. Taylor Academy senior Macy Laurent are corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners.
Julia Vedros, whose probable career field is advertising, is a recipient of the National Merit Fluor Scholarship. The Fluor Foundation funds awards to employees’ children of Fluor Corporation and its subsidiaries. Fluor designs, builds, and maintains many of the world’s most challenging and complex projects. Its Merit Scholarship awards recognize outstanding students who are the sons and daughters of Fluor employees.
Luke Vedros, whose probable career field is mechanical engineering, is also a recipient of the National Merit Fluor Scholarship.
Macy Laurent, whose probable career field is surgical medicine, is a recipient of the National Merit James E. Casey Scholarship. The National Merit James E. Casey Scholarships is for children of United Parcel Service employees. It is supported by the UPS Foundation, in honor of the founder of United Parcel Service.
More than 1,000 distinguished high school seniors have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 160 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations. Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for Finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.
Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.
Funding for these National Merit Scholarships is provided by corporate organizations that represent nearly all sectors of American industry. Sponsors from the business community have underwritten awards offered in all 64 competitions, expending or committing more than $804 million to support the intellectual development of the nation’s scholastically talented youth.
This is the first announcement of National Merit Scholars in 2019 by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. NMSC will name recipients of National Merit $2500 Scholarships on May 8, and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards on June 5 and July 15. By the conclusion of this year’s competition, about 7,600 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million.