4 Recent Grads Win Merit Scholarships

Four recent high school graduates from Ventura County campuses won Merit Scholarships financed by colleges and universities, officials from the National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced Monday.

They are in addition to seven county winners of the same type of scholarship announced in the spring. The newest winners, listed with their high schools and the colleges they will attend, are Claire Lunaof Villanova Preparatory School, University of Southern California; Alissa Irion of Villanova Preparatory, Vanderbilt University; James Bendetto of St. Bonaventure High School, Santa Clara University, and Carmen Smith of Buena High School, Willamette University.

The most recent 1,800 winners nationwide, who will receive $250 to $2,000 annually for up to four years, were judged on test scores, grades and recommendations from their high school principals. Of the more than 1.1 million juniors who took the 1995 PSAT/NMSQT, 15,000 top scorers--or 1% of high school seniors nationwide--became finalists.

Earlier this year, the corporation also announced the winners of two other sections of the awards--corporate-sponsored scholars, and unsponsored individuals who earned flat-rate $2,000 National Merit Scholarship awards.