WAYNESFIELD — Cole M. Steinke, a graduate of Waynesfield Goshen High School, was awarded a National Merit Scholarship from the University of Nebraska. Cole is the son of Michelle and Todd Steinke in Cridersville.
College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners are a part of the distinguished group of about 7,500 high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth nearly $28 million.
The 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, more than 16,000 Semifinalists were named. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the nation’s seniors.
To compete for Merit Scholarship awards, Semifinalists first had to advance to the Finalist level of the competition by fulfilling additional requirements. Each Semifinalist was asked to submit a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. From the Semifinalist group, over 15,000 met requirements for Finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will be Merit Scholarship winners in 2022.
