From staff reports
Century High School and Schaeffer Academy students are winners of 2005 National Merit Scholarships.
Michael Diedrich of Century and Christopher Steer of Schaeffer won the $2,500 scholarships, which they will put toward their college careers. Diedrich is considering a career in planetary science; Steer is leaning toward law.
National Merit Scholarships went to 51 Minnesota students and 2,500 in the country. National Merit Scholarship Corp., based in Evanston, Ill., chose the winners from a field of 15,000 finalists. A national committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors reviewed the finalists' academic records, standardized test scores, community contributions, essays and recommendations from school officials.
National Merit Scholarship Corp. underwrites about 90 percent of the scholarships. The remaining funds come from corporate and business sponsors.
