News release - Six high school seniors are among 146 students in 59 public high schools across South Carolina to be named semifinalists in the 55th annual National Merit Scholarship program.

They will compete with 16,000 throughout the United States for 8,200 scholarships worth more than $36 million that will be offered next spring.

HCS National Merit Semifinalists are: Denrey H. Christy, Aynor High School and the Scholars Academy; Yuko M. Gruber, Carolina Forest High School; Benjamin E. Ujcich, Carolina Forest High School and the Scholars Academy; Logan S. Chestnut, Conway High School and the Scholars Academy; Courtney A. Pendleton, Myrtle Beach High School; and Isley M. Arruda, St. James High School.

Nationwide, more than 1.5 million juniors in over 22,000 high schools entered the 2010 National Merit Program by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which serves as an initial screening. To advance to the finalist stage, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test.

A detailed scholarship application - including an essay and information about the student's participation and leadership in school and community activities - also is required. Merit Scholars will be selected from the finalist pool on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Scholarship awards will be announced in four nationwide news releases next April through July.