Top: Chelsey Gerena, Aeva C. Jazic, Jonathan R. Hutton. Bottom Nikhita Nookala, Jake R. Shipe, Devon Jay Wiesenfeld.

By: Sharon Aron Baron

Congratulations to the Broward County Public Schools high school seniors, named winners of National Merit College-Sponsorships by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Local winners include: Chelsey Gerena, J. P. Taravella High School; Jonathan R. Hutton, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; Aeva C. Jazic, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; Nikhita Nookala, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; Jake R. Shipe, Coral Springs High School; and Devon Jay Wiesenfeld, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Representatives of each sponsor college and university selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. An additional group of scholars will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship recipients in the 2018 competition to about 4,000.

“We are extremely proud of all of our Merit Scholarship winners and their incredible accomplishments,” said BCPS Superintendent Robert W. Runcie. “We applaud their hard work and commitment to academic excellence and wish them continued success in their future endeavors.”

This year, 178 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. Sponsor colleges and universities include 100 private and 78 public institutions located in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

Broward County Public Schools College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners:

Jaeson P. Alcoriza, Everglades High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Robert Cuba, West Broward High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Hugh W. Dennin, Cooper City High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Nina E. Fernandez, West Broward High School
National Merit Florida State University Scholarship

Chelsey Gerena, J. P. Taravella High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Jeremy M. Gillick, Charles W. Flanagan High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Jonathan R. Hutton, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit Boston University Scholarship

Aeva C. Jazic, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Sydney H. Leiter, Western High School
National Merit University of Georgia Scholarship

Tyler Jeremy Metger, West Broward High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Joie L. Meyer, Cooper City High School
National Merit Tulane University Scholarship

Vikasni Mohan, Pompano Beach High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Nikhita Nookala, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Ashleigh D. Plasencia, South Plantation High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Payton Restrepo, Everglades High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Jake R. Shipe, Coral Springs High School
National Merit University of Central Florida Scholarship

Rocky H. Shiu, Everglades High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Agustina Vincent de Urquiza, Western High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Devon Jay Wiesenfeld, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Caleb Wong, Cypress Bay High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Zonshen Yu, Cypress Bay High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

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.