Five Houston Independent School District students have been named National Achievement Scholarship winners. Each student will receive a $2,500 dollar award. Each year the National Merit Scholarship Corporation awards scholarships to African-American students who have excelled in academics and who have demonstrated the potential for academic success in college.

800 students were awarded scholarships this year totaling more than $2 million dollars. Sixty of those students are from Texas including five students who attend HISD schools.
• Camryn K. Burkins – Carnegie Vanguard High School
• Somtochi I. Okafor – Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions
• Frankie C. Mojekwu- Booker T. Washington High School
• Christopher B. Reed – Booker T. Washington High School
• Nicole C. Syder – Westside High School
Nationally, more than 160,000 students applied for the 2012 National Achievement Scholarships, which were awarded based on several criteria. Students had to demonstrate a consistent record of academic excellence. They had to be recommended by an official from their high school. Candidates had to earn SAT scores that confirmed their Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test scores, and they also had to write an essay.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program is a privately financed academic competition established in 1964 to recognize African-American students who have achieved exceptional scholastic success. This is the 48th year for the National Achievement Scholarships have been awarded. As a result of the program, 32,000 students have received scholarships for undergraduate study worth more than $100 million dollars.