A Utica Community Schools senior is among only 2,500 students nationally and more than 70 graduates statewide to be named National Merit scholarship winners.

Adeline Paul, of the Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for International Studies, has earned a $2,500 scholarship through the National Merit Corporation. She is the only Macomb County student to receive this prestigious honor. 

She also attended Malow Junior High School, Crissman Elementary and Graebner Elementary.

Paul will study computer science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

National Merit Scholarship winners are judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

The winners 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 two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

National Merit Scholarship recipients are selected from among the top high school students named National Merit Finalists. This year, UCS had three merit finalists, which annually represents the top one percent of all high school students in the nation.