Manatee High School senior wins National Merit award

BRADENTON -- A Manatee High School senior won a corporate-sponsored National Merit Award, the Manatee County School District announced Wednesday.

Corbin Wood, an 18-year-old Bradenton resident, earned a scholarship from LPL Financial, an independent broker-dealer. Wood is interested in a career in cardiology.

"I think there's a lot of development to be had in the field," Wood said. "What I really want to do eventually is become a missionary doctor and help people who would never have access."

Wood hasn't formally committed yet, but plans to study at Yale University in the fall. The $1,000 a year scholarship will help cover the cost of attendance.

"I'm grateful for their generosity and I hope that more Manatee County students get this opportunity in years to come," he said.

Wood is among the first announced recipients of National Merit scholarships. General National Merit $2,500 scholarships will be announced in May and college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships are awarded in the summer.

By the end of this year, more than 7,500 students will be awarded approximately $33 million in scholarships.

More than 1.5 million high school students entered the National Merit Scholarship competition when they took the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as junior. The 16,000 semifinalists announced in the fall of 2015 represent less than one-percent of the nation's seniors.

Almost a dozen Manatee County students were named finalists in the fall.

Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter @MeghinDelaney.

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 11:52 PM with the headline "Manatee High School senior wins National Merit award ."