Cortlandt Seniors Win 2023 National Merit Scholarships

CORTLANDT, NY — Thirty students from the Hudson Valley were named winners of the 2023 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, with two of them coming from Cortlandt.

The merit scholar winners, announced Wednesday, were among 2,500 winners nationwide and were selected from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists.

Wednesday’s announcement is the second group of winners this year. In April, about 840 recipients of the corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship were named.

A panel of college admissions officers and high school counselors judged the students based on their accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college courses, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation said in a release.

The number of winners in each state was proportional to the state’s share of the nation’s graduating high school seniors. Additional winners will be named in June and July. By the end of the year, more than 7,100 students will have won merit scholarships totaling more than $28 million. The money can be put toward any regionally accredited college or university in America.

Here are the winners from Cortlandt:

Sabbia Gale-Donnelly, Crompond

• Walter Panas High School
• Probably career field: Law

Alexandra M. Schaffer, Croton-on-Hudson

• Hendrick Hudson High School
• Probable career field: Environmental science