COUNTYWIDE : 18 Seniors Named Merit Scholars

Eighteen of the county’s distinguished high school seniors have been named National Merit Scholars in honor of their academic accomplishments.

The college or university that each senior will attend will finance the scholarships, valued from $250 to $2,000, for each year of undergraduate study.

This year’s local recipients are: Joseph D. Nordaby of Katella High School in Anaheim; Kevin C. Chang, Brea-Olinda High, Brea; Allison V. Horak, Dana Hills High, Dana Point; Tiffani L. Chin, El Toro High, El Toro; David H. Choe and James Y. Song, Sunny Hills High, Fullerton; Robert A. Hulse, Marina High, Huntington Beach; Lisa M. Giroux, Woodbridge High, Irvine.

Also Dennis H. Hong, Betty W. Hou, Sheela Rao and Chris B. Yan, all of University High, Irvine; Tawny L. Kutner, Mission Viejo High, Mission Viejo; Andrew J. Yang, Corona del Mar High, Newport Beach; Matthew W. Hohlfeld, Orange High, Orange; Nicole A. Chippas, El Dorado High, Placentia; David K. Morikawa, Valencia High, Placentia; and Lyndsay R. Kahler, Lutheran High, Orange.

The winners are among 2,400 Merit Scholars nationwide announced last week by the nonprofit National Merit Scholarship Corp. More than 6,300 seniors will receive National Merit scholarships this year.

About 1.1 million students entered the 1992 Merit Program by taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) two years ago. This year’s recipients were chosen from a group of 14,000 finalists, who were chosen based on test scores, extracurricular and school activities, career goals, principal recommendation and overall academic performance.