TOWSON, MD—A senior at Towson High School is among 2,500 distinguished high school seniors from across the nation who have earned this year’s National Merit® $2,500 Scholarship awards.

Eliza J. Annis, who is planning a career in neurology, received a scholarship underwritten by Ed’s Connect Community Fund (a fund created by a previous Merit Scholar) and supported by a generous donation to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s President’s Fund.

For the past two years, Annis has shadowed a nurse practitioner at the Johns Hopkins Hospital outpatient headache clinic. As she completes her senior year at Towson High, Annis is a mentor in the school’s Law and Public Policy Program, a Student Government Association representative, secretariat of Model United Nations, and director of operations for the Towson High School Model UN Conference. In the community, Annis volunteers as a student lead at Whirlwind Middle School Ministry and raises funds to benefit Little Angels Service Dogs.

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. These scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Donations made to NMSC’s President’s Fund also provide funding for some National Merit $2500 Scholarships awards. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

This is the second announcement of National Merit Scholars in 2025 by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®). About 830 recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards were named on April 23, and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be announced on Wednesday, June 4, and Monday, July 14. By the conclusion of this year’s competition, more than 6,930 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $26 million.

Photo via BCPS

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