Rockwood Students Earn 2026 National Merit Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships

Rockwood Summit High senior Michael Charleston and Lafayette High senior Mark Domsalla are among the first group of winners in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program, earning two of the approximately 700 corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 115 corporations, company foundations and other business organizations.

Charleston and Domsalla are among only 23 students in the state of Missouri to earn a 2026 corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship. Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for Finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage. Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $10,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation will announce recipients of National Merit $2500 Scholarships on May 13 and winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards on June 3 and July 13. By the conclusion of the 2026 competition, about 6,700 finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling nearly $24 million.

Congratulations to these outstanding Rockwood students!

Michael Charleston, Rockwood Summit -- National Merit Eaton Scholarship

Charleston plans to attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study computer engineering. 

Mark Domsalla, Lafayette -- National Merit Boeing Scholarship

Domsalla plans to attend the University of Notre Dame to major in engineering.