Schools in the Shelby County area can now boast being the home of 15 National Merit scholarship winners. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced its third round of honorees today.

This round of students will receive college–sponsored scholarships.

The students include: Shannon Edsall and Velislav A. Stamenov of Thompson High School, Charles H. Elmer, William C. Hodges and Lindsey E. Motlow of Briarwood Christian School, Mieke C. Groothuizen of Chelsea High School, James E. Morris of Spain Park High School and Joy M. Underwood of Indian Springs School.

Edsall, Elmer, Groothuizen, Hodges, Underwood and Stamenov all gained scholarships from Auburn University. Motlow earned college funds from Birmingham–Southern. Morris gained a scholarship from the University of Alabama. Other students already receiving college funds include Azalea A. Vo of Helena and Houze Shi of Birmingham, who are both students at the Alabama School of Fine Arts; Veronica R. Ciniglio of Indian Springs School, Alex J. Shaw and Margaret M. Bowers, both of Spain Park High School; and Yuegi J. Peng and Michael A. Henry, both of Oak Mountain High School.

More than 1.4 million high school juniors entered the 2008 National Merit Scholarship competition by taking the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The last rounds of college-sponsored scholarship announcements are scheduled for July 13.