Four Maine West students, Yvonne Pytlick '79, Susan Blessing '79, Douglas Strand '79, and Mike Dsida '79, have been selected as winners of National Merit Scholarships. These four winners were selected out of seven Maine West finalists.

The scholarships are of two types. Yvonne Pytlick has won a National Merit $1,000 scholarship. This type of award can be used at any four‑year college the recipient chooses to attend. It is a onetime award. On the other hand, Sue, Doug, and Mike won college‑sponsored scholarships which are renewable for four years. The amount of these awards are based upon computed financial need and range from $250 per to $1,500 per year. These are only good for use at the college which sponsors them.

Yvonne will use her $1,000 scholarship at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. There she plans to study metallurgical engineering. Mike's $1,500 per year scholarship made it possible for him to attend the University of Chicago. There he intends to major in political science.

Sue will get $250 per year from the Illinois Institute of Technology for her Merit Scholarship. At lIT Sue plans to major in physics, hoping for a career in research.

Unlike the other three Merit Scholarship winners, Doug rejected his award. The offer of $1,500 per year was sponsored by Grinnell College in Iowa. Although he was considering Grinnell, he finally decided to enroll at Oberlin College in Ohio. Thus, he had to turn down the Merit Scholarship offer.

Principal James Coburn is "extremely proud" of the Merit Scholarship winners. as he says, "They are all most deserving of this high academic award ‑ an award which enunciates their intellectual ability, their maturity, and their academic preparation." Mr. Coburn also noted that during the 21 years he has been in Maine Township, he cannot remember a year when Maine has had as many Merit Scholars as this year.