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Local Student Recipient of Corporate National Merit Scholarship

by Sharon Aron Baron April 24, 2016

by Sharon Aron Baron April 24, 2016 12 views

Joanna J. Zhuang

By: Sharon Aron Baron

Congratulations to Joanna J. Zhuang of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who was a recipient of a corporate sponsored National Merit Scholarship.

Zhuang is just one of 1,000 distinguished high school seniors around the country who have won the corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship award financed by about 200 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations. She received her scholarship from Illinois Tool Works, which is a sponsor of National Merit.

“I’m so excited about winning a National Merit corporate scholarship,” she said. “It’s really crazy to think that I was chosen for an award that’s given to such a small amount of seniors. I’m so thankful to Illinois Tool Works which gave me the scholarship, and I’m so glad all my hard work paid off.”

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.

“We are extremely proud of our student scholars for their hard work and dedication,” said Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert W. Runcie. “We congratulate them and their families on this outstanding accomplishment.”

Zhuang lives in Parkland along with her parents Lin Xia and Ming Zuang and brother George who attends the University of Florida. She said she hasn’t committed to any college yet, but is visiting Vanderbilt University this weekend, however, she said she is leaning towards and will most likely attend the University of Florida.

“Since I won the corporate National Merit scholarship, I also won Florida Incentive Scholarship for UF, so I would attend UF on a full ride,” she said.

She wasn’t sure what her major would be but for now, she plans on majoring in computer science.

All Broward County Public School winners:

Samuel Tao, Nova High School
National Merit Motorola Solutions Scholarship

Joanna J. Zhuang, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit Calmer L. Johnson/John W. Leslie ITW Scholarship

Kendra Washington, Nova High School
National Merit Nextera Energy, Inc. Scholarship

Nicolas Lopez, Cypress Bay High School
National Merit Pepsico Foundation Scholarship

Pratiksha Patra, Cypress Bay High School
National Merit Nextera Energy, Inc. Scholarship

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 61 competitions, expending or committing more than $750 million to support the intellectual development of the nation’s scholastically talented youth.

Author Profile

Sharon Aron Baron

Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs and the rest of South Florida.