SABATTUS — Victoria Schalk, a senior in high school from Sabattus, has been named a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship competition by officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Schalk is one of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 57th annual NMS program. Approximately half of the semifinalists in the competition will be selected as Merit Scholarship winners, earning the Merit Scholar title.

Established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Program, NMSC is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. Scholarships awarded through the program are underwritten by NMSC’s own funds and approximately 500 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

Three types of Merit Scholarship awards will be offered in 2013. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. In addition, corporations and business organizations will underwrite about 1,000 corporate-sponsored scholarships for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. Also, colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. Merit Scholarship winners of 2013 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April, 2013 and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 250,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

Victoria is educated at home. She is the daughter of Charles and Mary Schalk of Sabattus.

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