Senior Marcus Powell has been awarded a National Achievement Scholarship as one of the top African-American high school scholars in the country.  This came as a result of Powell’s Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) score, his SAT score and an extra application submitted.

Powell, who also was named a National Merit semi-finalist with his PSAT/NMSQT score of 209, was one of only five students from Missouri to be awarded the $2,500 National Achievement award, a press release from the Rockwood School District said.

Powell said he first heard he was a scholarship semi-finalist a year after he took the PSAT/NMSQT.  He was then required to take the SAT and submit an application that included an essay and teacher recommendation to be considered for the actual award.  Powell scored a 2270 on the SAT, and was notified of his finalist status a few weeks ago.

Powell’s sister Devin, Class of 2012, also received the same scholarship, so the recognition was not necessarily shocking.

“I halfway expected the scholarship, because my sister got it and I was kind of next in line, and my score was higher than hers. It wasn’t all that unexpected, but I was still very happy to get it,” Marcus said.

College Specialist Cheryl Egan is Marcus’ college counselor and noted the importance of the scholarship.

“I am very excited for Marcus because I know what opportunities that scholarship will provide and what doors it will open,” Egan said.

Along with National Achievement and National Merit, Marcus received a Glory of Missouri Award and was a Student of the Month in 2014.  He will be recognized for these achievements at the Senior Awards Night on Wednesday. 

Marcus is undecided on where he will attend college next fall, but says he is choosing between The University of Chicago and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology.