Nine Mira Costa Students Named Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Nine Mira Costa High School seniors have been named 2013 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, according to the nonprofit National Merit Scholarship Corporation, placing them among nearly 16,000 semifinalists representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors nationally in the 58th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The students will compete for some 8,300 scholarships with a total value that exceeds $32 million. Roughly 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to make it to the finals and slightly more than half of the finalists will win a scholarship.

The students were judged by their grades, scores on standardized tests, an essay and extracurricular activities.

The nine MCHS student semifinalists are:

• Brett Buckstaff
• Alec Lautanen
• Diane Lee
• Anne Monique Pace
• Prerana Poddar
• Jack Rosenberg
• Brian Sydow
• Jane Tian
• Brian Zukotynski

Here's the count for other schools of interest:

• Palos Verdes Peninsula High: 22 
• Palos Verdes High: 4
• Chadwick School: 3
• Redondo Union High: 1
• Beverly Hills High: 2
• Culver City High: 3
• La Canada High: 10
• San Marino High: 14
• Los Alamitos High: 5
• West Torrance: 2
• South Torrance: 2

The 2013 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced beginning in April through July.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation was established in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The scholarships are provided by the organization and about 440 businesses and educational institutions.