National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of the first group of winners in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship program.

Sean D. Huxley of Newbury Park will receive the National Merit Marsh & McLennan Companies Scholarship. He attends Newbury Park High School and his probable career field is mechanical engineering.

Shannon M. Shaffer of Newbury Park received the National Merit Northrop Grumman Scholarship. She attends La Reina High School of Thousand Oaks and her probable career field is engineering.

More than 1,000 high school seniors will receive corporatesponsored Merit Scholarship awards financed by companies, foundations and other business organizations.

Corporate sponsors provided scholarships to students who are children of their employees, residents of communities the company serves or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the grantor wishes to encourage.