30 Win National Merit Scholarships

Thirty Orange County students are among the state’s 218 winners of $2,000 scholarships in the second round of this year’s National Merit competition, the organization announced this week.

The high school seniors are among 14,000 students who advanced to the finals in the 1996 merit program. The winners were then evaluated according to academic records, test scores, demonstrated leadership abilities, personal goals and contributions to school and community.

Scholarship winners are Paul Carr, Sunny Hills High, Fullerton; Andrew Ganahl, Servite High, Anaheim; Samuel Hu, Fountain Valley High; Theodore Sy, University High, Irvine; Iris Liu, Sunny Hills High, Fullerton; Walid Gardezi, Troy High, Fullerton; Patrick Lu, Marina High, Huntington Beach; Tamthanh Pham, Mater Dei High, Santa Ana; Lily Kao, University High, Irvine; and Michael Page, Dana Hills High, Dana Point.

Also winning the awards, sponsored by corporations or the scholarship organization, are Jin Yoo, Sunny Hills High, Fullerton; Tricia Michels, Fountain Valley High; Chris Lee, Sunny Hills High, Fullerton; Caroline Yu, University High, Irvine; Ilya Mandel, Marina High, Huntington Beach; Ross Venook, Woodbridge High, Irvine; Andrew Ting, Laguna Hills High; Tara Nathan, University High, Irvine; Susan Shaw, Villa Park High; Adam Reiss, El Modena High, Orange; and Kyle Clayton, San Clemente High.

Other winners are Denise Ho, Laguna Hills High; Nancy Jeong Sun Han, Troy High, Fullerton; Richard Kim, Villa Park High; Khanh Bui, Laguna Hills High; Vivian Chiang, Villa Park High; Katherine Pham, University High, Irvine; Wei Tang, Mission Viejo High; Charles Curry, Villa Park High; and Pauline Lim, Sunny Hills High, Fullerton.

Winners in the third round of the competition will be announced later this spring.