Two CVUSD students named National Merit Scholarship winners

ilish Boisvert Three local high school students were announced among the first group of Merit Scholarship winners for 2006.

Jeffrey Su (Agoura High School), Eilish Boisvert (Westlake High School) and Alan Gilder (Newbury Park High School) were among 88 California students in the first round of corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards.

National Merit Scholarship Foundation officials announced that nationwide, 1,000 high school seniors have been notified of their monetary awards, financed by some 300 corporations, foundations and businesses.

Most merit scholarships are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Others provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use the awards at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

"It's really nice," Gilder said. "I was surprised at first."

State Farm Insurance is sponsoring Gilder and will pay up to $12,000 towards Gilder's tuition at Harvey Mudd College, a private college in Claremont, Calif. Gilder said he plans to study mechanical or electrical engineering and hopes for a career designing rockets for space flight.

Alan Gilder "Alan is another of our international baccalaureate full-diploma candidates," Newbury Park High School Principal Max Beaman said.

Gilder, who has a 4.5 grade point average, is a member of the yearbook staff and the school's service organization, Diplomats. He also plays soccer, and is a referee for the Agoura Youth Soccer Organization.

Northrop Grumman sponsored Su, who won a four-year $10,000 scholarship. Su is interested in studying bioengineering. He said he has yet to choose between Harvey Mudd College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, or UC San Diego.

"I'm very pleased," Su said. "(The money) will help."

"(Jeffrey) is one of a lot of neat kids," Agoura High School Principal Larry Misel said. "(His achievement is a) combination of his own ability, support from his parents, his teachers and from his friends. We're proud of his accomplishments and (of) all the kids who are involved in the national merit awards."

Boisvert was a Merit Scholarship recipient of a four-year $6,000 scholarship from the Boeing aerospace company. She will use the award at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where she will study biology or biological anthropology. Boisvert plans to become a doctor.

"It was great," Boisvert said.

To compete for the Merit Scholarship awards, semifinalists were required to submit information about their academic record, endorsements from their principals, SAT scores and essays on their extracurricular activities, interests and goals.

Boisvert earned 2,330 out of the possible 2,400 on her SAT, sings in the school choir, works at a dental office and volunteers at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and Los Robles Hospital.

In May, the National Merit Scholarship Corp. will announce additional scholarship winners. College-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be announced in June. By the conclusion of the 2006 competition, 8,200 students will have won Merit Scholarships worth $33 million.