Westover’s Wrensford named National Achievement Scholarship semifinalist
Staff Reports
ALBANY, Ga. — Westover Comprehensive High School senior Kwasi Wrensford is among the 2013 seniors who qualified as semi-finalists in the 49th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program which were announced by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) officials.
The National Achievement Scholarship Program is an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students.
“I was a little surprised by the news because I knew that others had higher (test) scores than me” Wrensford, who carries a 3.8 GPA, said Tuesday. “But I am grateful to get this honor.”
More than 1,600 high school seniors were designated as semi-finalists. High school juniors from all parts of the United States requested consideration when they took the 2011 Pre-SAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
These scholastically talented young men and women now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 800 scholarship awards worth more than $2.5 million that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a National Achievement Scholarship, semi-finalists must fulfill several requirements advancing to the finalist level of the competition. About 80 percent of semi-finalists are expected to attain finalist standing and more than half of the finalists will win a scholarship.
The National Achievement Scholarship Program, conducted by NMSC, is a privately financed academic competition that operates without government assistance. It was initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students throughout the nation and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding program participants.
To date, more than 31,900 young men and women have received National Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than $100 million.
Wrensford has not yet decided which university he will attend after graduation but has already decided on Environmental Science as his field of study.
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