Sami Ahmed is a finalist in National Merit program

Cibola High School senior Sami Ahmed, 17, is a finalist in the National Achievement Scholarship Program, the Yuma Sun reported.

After being named a semifinalist in September, it was recently announced that Ahmed will be awarded $2,500 for his achievement and that he was one of 800 African-American high school seniors to receive the honor in the U.S.

More than 160,000 students nationally requested to be considered for the 2013 National Achievement Scholarship Program when they took the PSAT/NMSQT exam.

“I am extremely grateful of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for this recognition,” said Ahmed to the newspaer. “I am still in astonishment for being named a finalist out of a very extensive pool of potential winners, all of whom are very distinguished and capable to receive such an esteemed achievement.

He explained that after being recognized as a finalist, he was offered a $60,000 scholarship to the University of Arizona, one of the top schools on his list of campuses.

“The money that this scholarship offers is generous, and thanks to this organization, the amount of money is amplified through college acknowledgement,” said Ahmed. “The money is definitely a boon, and I’m sure that it made my parents that much happier.”

He was awarded the National Scholar Award from the UA, which pays for $15,000 per academic year of his undergraduate studies and where he plans to major in physiology.

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