Two seniors at DeBakey High School and another at Lamar High School have won National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s National Achievement Scholarships, it was announced Wednesday, April 9.

DeBakey students Mary N. Chukwu and Truth Iyiewuare, along with Lamar student Ademali G. Sengal, were awarded $2,500 scholarships to continue their education on the collegiate level.

More than 160,000 students entered the 2014 National Achievement Scholarship Program but only 800 won.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program is privately financed and was established in 1964 to honor scholastically talented black students with partial funding for college. In its 50 years, about 33,400 participants have been awarded a total exceeding $105 million.