St. Mary’s Dominican High School senior Kathryn Fine has been selected as a winner of a National Merit® $2500 Scholarship. Fine is the daughter of  Mary Beth and Paul Fine of Metairie. Winners are named in every state, in numbers based on the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors. In addition, a number of recipients are chosen in the District of Columbia, schools in U.S. commonwealths and territories, schools in other countries that enroll U.S. citizens, and U.S. boarding schools that enroll a sizable portion of students from outside the state in which the school is located. National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) funds support the majority of the National Merit $2500 Scholarships, but corporate sponsors help underwrite these awards with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.