Four students from Woodstock High School Class of 2014 each have been awarded a National Merit Scholarship. Madison Adams won a National Merit Scholarship by Auburn University, where she plans to study economics; Briana Francois won a $2,500 National Merit Achievement Scholarship; Samuel Mixon, valedictorian, earned a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship Corp. scholarship; and Rachel Steppe, salutatorian, earned a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship funded by The UPS Foundation.

The four WHS graduates are among only 2,500 students nationwide selected for National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities. The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.

About 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools across the U.S. entered the 2014 National Merit Scholarship competition when they took the 2012 PSAT. Last fall, approximately 16,000 semi-finalists were selected based on earning the highest scores in their state. Scholarship winners then were selected based on a detailed application that shows an outstanding academic record and SAT score; extracurricular activities; awards and leadership positions; essay; and a recommendation from a high school official.