Area students receive National Achievement Scholarships

Five Nashville high school students are recipients of the 2004 National Achievement Scholarships, a National Merit Scholarship Foundation awards program to recognize academically outstanding black students.

Nashville seniors Courtney McClellan from St. Cecilia Academy; Orville Bignall and Marissa Valiz from Hume-Fogg Academic High School; and Jessica Price and Taryn Williams from the University School of Nashville are among 800 winners to receive a $2,500 scholarship or a corporate award.

Recipients were chosen based on achievement test scores, principal recommendations and a personal essay. More than 120,000 students applied for the program this year.