Hinsdale, Hinsdale Central Boast 10 National Merit Scholarship Winners

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced their 2013 Merit Scholar designees and $2,500 scholarship award-winners on Monday, including four from Clarendon Hills, two from Hinsdale and four other Hinsdale Central High School students:

Among the awardees were:

• Bryan L. Bu, of Clarendon Hills, a Hinsdale Central senior, probable career field economics.
• Anais Carell, of Clarendon Hills, a Hinsdale Central senior, probable career field public service.
• Dajiv S. Deshpande, of Oak Brook, a Hinsdale Central senior, probable career field health care.
• Sagar Dommaraju, of Westmont, a Hinsdale Central senior, probable career field biomedicine.
• Duncan M. Gammie, of Hinsdale, a St. Ignatius College Prep senior, probable career field computer science.
• Zixi Lang, of Westmont, a Hinsdale Central senior, probable career field mathematics.
• Jennifer M. Lohmeier, of Clarendon Hills, a Hinsdale Central senior, probable career field business administration.
• Veronica R. Peterson, of Clarendon Hills, a Hinsdale Central senior, probable career field industrial engineering
• Maxwell C. Rong, of Westmont, a Hinsdale Central senior, probable career field economics.
• Christopher R. Wentland, of Hinsdale, a Benet Academy senior, probable career field chemical engineering.

According to an NMSC press release, the winners are the finalists who are determined “to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies,” based on an appraisal of academic records, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, a recommendation and a finalist’s own essays.

About 8,000 students nationwide earned the award, including 108 from Illinois.

The total scholarship money awarded is over $35 million, the release said, with most “underwritten by approximately 440 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.”