The American Legion National Committee on Education recently selected 9 students for the 2012 Samsung American Legion Scholarship. Each student will receive a $20,000 scholarship for undergraduate studies.

The Samsung American Legion Scholarship is available to high school juniors who participate in and complete the Boys State or Girls State programs and are direct descendants (or legally adopted children) of wartime veterans eligible for American Legion membership. Students who qualify for and are interested in the Samsung Scholarship must submit a completed application to program staff upon their arrival to Boys State or Girls State. Recipients of the scholarship must use the funds for undergraduate studies (e.g., room and board, tuition and books), and each applicant is selected according to his or her school and community activities, academic record and financial need.

To date, the scholarship has awarded more than $4 million to nearly 1,500 applicants, making it the largest college scholarship the Legion awards.

The 2012 Samsung Scholars are:

Landon Stevenson – Townville, South Carolina; West-Oak High School
Collette Bersie – Montrose, Minnesota; Delano High School
Morgan Irons – Yorktown, Virginia; Grafton High School
Sean Weller – Colorado Springs, Colorado; Air Academy High School
Preston Fegley – Grand Island, Nebraska; Grand Island High School
Madeline Chin – South Pasadena, California; South Pasadena High School
Bradley Bark – Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Erik Thomas – Wallace, Michigan; Menominee High School
Kelsey Green – Harlem, Georgia; Harlem High School