7 students from Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti named semi-finalists in National Achievement Competition
Seven students from Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti will compete with 1,600 black high school seniors from across the U.S. for a shot at one of 700 $2,500 college scholarships.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently announced its semifinalists for the 2013 National Achievement Scholarship awards. The National Achievement Scholarship Program was established in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students through the nation and to provide money for college to the program’s most outstanding participants, according to its website.
Scholarship award winners will be announced in April of 2013.
The semi-finalists from Ann Arbor- and Ypsilanti-area schools were:
- Andikan Archibong, Greenhills School
- Rianna Johnson-Levy, Community High School
- Samuel Keller, Skyline High School
- Elizabeth Kennedy, Skyline High School
- Gonza Lulika, Father Gabriel Richard High School
- Michael Myles, Lincoln High School
- Christopher Shepard, Skyline High School
Previous story: Semifinalists announced in 2013 National Merit Scholarship Competition
Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
nade berter
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 2:32 a.m.
Congratulations to these remarkable young people! Your achievements are well-deserving of recognition and the entire community is proud of you. To the useless, immature adults on this site who feel the need to soil the achievements of young teenagers by using this as a platform to air their pseudo-racist bs, shame on you. This is neither the time nor place to discuss the severe inequities in educational achievement divided across racial categories in this country (or to whine about how there is no 'white version', for God's sake, people, pick up a history book/any current newspaper and you'll find your 'white version). Take it somewhere else, this is neither the time nor place- shame on you for picking on children. Really, I don't care if you're white, black, brown or blue, if you feel the need to defecate on the hard-work, hard-earned academic achievement of a bunch of kids, because of your own internalized racial insecurity bs, that makes you a terrible, terrible human being. That is all. Again, Congrats young ones, please ignore the haters. People like some of the commenters below make me weep for humanity but don't let them detract from your well-deserved, well-earned success.
Danai
Sun, Oct 7, 2012 : 2:40 a.m.
Congrats to all of you on your academic achievements! Please don't let some of the misguided and naive comments here detract from your accomplishments.
Doug
Fri, Oct 5, 2012 : 1:06 p.m.
I congratulate the 7 black high school seniors for their tremendous accomplishments. However, is there a competition for only white high school seniors?
xmo
Fri, Oct 5, 2012 : 1 p.m.
Basing anything on race or the color of your skin is wrong! Yet, it is still promoted in the media!
nade berter
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 2:43 a.m.
Until the current economic and social costs propagated by years of slavery, legalized and unofficial segregation in this country, and the racialized gaps in income, education, job and housing access between white individuals and historically, deliberately underdeveloped, exploited people of color, and here I include Native Americans and people of African descent are closed then 'color blind' will be a pipe dream. If you think it's 'wrong', then 'be the change you wish to see' and work together with your community and these communities in closing these gaps so we'll never need to base anything on race or skin color ever again.
towncryer
Fri, Oct 5, 2012 : 7:50 p.m.
KInd of sends a mixed message about equality or since this is Ann Arbor, should i say "equity"?
YpsiGreen
Fri, Oct 5, 2012 : 1:57 p.m.
When these kinds of "competitions" are still propagated, is it any wonder that this country can't become "color-blind?" The article states that the scholarships started in 1964, definitely a time when it was necessary to start breaking down the color barriers. But it's 2012 now. "Can't we all just get along?"
Heidi Koester
Fri, Oct 5, 2012 : 12:51 p.m.
Way to go, Sam Keller, and congratulations to all the semifinalists.