Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Fayette County Public Schools boasts four of Kentucky’s 18 semifinalists in the annual National Achievement Scholarship Program. They are among some 1,600 African-American high school seniors competing this spring for awards worth more than $2.4 million.

Congratulations to Miles Clark, Trevor McNary and Micayla Tatum of Henry Clay High School and to Annesha Carter of Lafayette High School. No other school in Kentucky has more than one honoree.

About 80 percent of semifinalists are expected to advance, with more than half of the finalists winning a scholarship based on their abilities, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Some 160,000 high school juniors across the United States requested consideration in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program when they took the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

The finalists will compete for 700 one-time $2,500 National Achievement Scholarships, which are awarded on a regional representation basis. In addition, corporate and business sponsors will underwrite about 100 awards, some of which are renewable for four years of study. All the winners will be announced in April.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program, which is conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corp., is a privately financed academic competition. Since its launch in 1964, more than 31,000 students have received awards worth nearly $100 million.