LITTLE ROCK — Thirteen Arkansas high school seniors are among 1,600 students nationally to be named semifinalists in the 2013 National Achievement Scholarship Program for academically talented black students.
The semifinalists will now compete for about 800 scholarships worth more than $2.5 million to be offered next spring.
The scholarship program conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a privately financed competition that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1964.
The newly named semifinalists entered the competition as high school juniors who asked to be considered when they took the 2011 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
The Arkansas students and their high schools are:
Anna M. Udochi, Conway High West.
Tevin Barker, Dardanelle High.
Tevin M. Beanum and Ardraya I. McCoy, Forrest City High.
Tatenda M. Mukunyadzi and Alexis G. Taylor, Little Rock Central High.
Desiree N. Fletcher, Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock.
Leonard Cooper, e-Stem High Charter School in Little Rock.
Nickolas Brooks of Little Rock, Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High in the Pulaski County Special School District.
Adriel Barrios-Anderson of North Little Rock, home school.
Karena M. Everett of Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel High.
Samuel Rainey, Har-Ber High in Springdale.
Laylah Leon, West Memphis High.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 10 on 09/26/2012