East Cobb students named National Merit Scholarship winners

More than a dozen high school seniors from East Cobb have been named recipients of National Merit Scholarships for 2024.

East Cobb students named National Merit Scholarship winners
Omer Mustafa Inan, left, of Walton High School, receiving the 2024 Georgia STAR student of the year trophy.

The Evanston, Ill.-based corporation has announced two rounds of recipients, and will announce more in the summer.

On Wednesday, 10 East Cobb students were among 2,500 nationally to win $2,500 scholarships, who are  the finalists “in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors,” the National Merit Scholarship Corporation said in a release.

They include Omer Inan of Walton High School, the Georgia STAR student for 2024.

They were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors who evaluated academic records, test scores, school and community leadership activities, student essays and high school recommendations.

The NMSC finances most of the following single-payment scholarships, and students may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

  • Param Jaydev Desai, Wheeler. Probable career field: Healthcare
  • Vaishnavi Gogineni, Wheeler. Probable career field: Medicine
  • Zhikai Huang, Walton. Probable career field: Engineering
  • Omer M. Inan, Walton. Probable career field: Electrical Engineering
  • Daniel Lin, Walton. Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering
  • Neva C. Miller, Blessed Trinity Catholic. Probable career field: Marine Biology
  • Christian Alejandro Phanhthourath, Wheeler. Probable career field: Science/Research
  • Maariya S. Sheikh, Campbell. Probable career field: Medicine
  • Brock A. Stoller, Fellowship Christian. Probable career field: Computer Science
  • Lydia Y. Zeng, Walton. Probable career field: Surgical Medicine

In late April, the NMSC announced 770 recipients of its corporate scholarship awards, including four from East Cobb.

Those scholarships were funded by corporate sponsors who are children of their employees, live in communities the companies serve or who plan college studies in the field the sponsor wishes to encourage.

The scholarship amounts ranged from $1,000 to $10,000 and are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study.

  • Venya N. Gunjal, Wheeler. Probable career field: Medicine (Truist Financial Corp.)
  • James P. Davis, Walton. Probable career field: Computer Science (Liberty Mutual)
  • Shria S. Manikkoth, Walton. Probable career field: Law (Leidos, Inc.)
  • Asmita Saraswat, Wheeler. Probable career field: Industrial Engineering (Truist) Financial Corp.)

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