Arlington Student Wins 2022 National Merit Scholarship

ARLINGTON, MA — An Arlington resident has won a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Morris William Henry Smith, a senior at Belmont Hill School, was chosen out of approximately 15,000 Finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Smith plans to use the scholarship to study education, working towards becoming a college professor.

National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

The Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools including the academic record, test scores, contributions and leadership in school and community activities, an essay written by the Finalist, and a recommendation written by a high school official.

This is the second announcement of winners in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. On April 27, about 1,000 recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards were named, and on June 1 and July 11, some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners

By the conclusion of this year’s competition, about 7,500 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $28 million.