Batesville's Batta Among National Merit $2,500 Scholarship Winners

Owen Linstruth (Dixie Heights) and Ariel Fader (Ryle) were also awarded $2,500 scholarships.

(Evanston, Ill.) – Three tri-state area students have been named National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners.

Megan Batta (Batesville), Owen Linstruth (Dixie Heights), and Ariel Fader (Ryle) are among 2,500 Merit Scholar designees that were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

On June 5 and July 15, approximately 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will be announced.

By the conclusion of this year’s program, more than 6,870 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $26 million.

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