Countywide : 4 County Seniors Win Scholarships

Four Orange County students are among 600 outstanding high school seniors nationwide--43 in California--who have won college scholarships through an annual academic competition for black Americans, officials announced this week.

Distributed through the National Achievement Scholarship, the $3 million in awards are supported by grants from about 100 corporations, foundations and professional associations. An additional 200 award recipients will be named in late June and will receive four-year scholarships from the colleges or universities they plan to attend.

Two-thirds of the winners announced this week will receive single-payment, $2,000 scholarships that were distributed on a geographical basis according to the black population of various regions. The other 200 winners will receive corporate four-year scholarships ranging from $500 to more than $2,000 a year.

The Orange County students are: Sachiko V. White, of Brea Olinda High, who was awarded $2,000 from the National Merit Scholarship Corp.; Mashawna M. Vernon, of Pacifica High in Garden Grove, who was awarded an undisclosed sum from Texaco Foundation; Marjorie D. Terrell, of La Habra High, who was awarded $2,000 from the National Merit Scholarship Corp.; Homer B. Keppert, of Villa Park High, who was awarded an undisclosed sum from California Physician’s Achievement Scholarship.

More than 95,000 black students participated in the achievement program based on their scores in the Pre-Scholastic Aptitude Tests. Semi-finalists and finalists were selected based on grades, recommendations, activities, interests and goals.