Charles Noyes, a senior at Beaver County Christian School in Beaver Falls, has been named a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Since 1984, the school has had 12 National Merit Semifinalists and 17 National Merit Commended Students.

• Maria Graziano, of Pittsburgh, a junior at Bishop Canevin High School, and Marielle Domenique Hampe, of Coraopolis, a junior at Sewickley Academy, have been named Rensselaer Medal winners by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

The medal is awarded by more than 3,900 secondary schools in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia to students who excel in math and science.

Medalists who enroll at Rensselaer receive a scholarship of $60,000 -- $15,000 per year for four years.

n Curtis Wilhelm, a sixth-grader at Moon Area Middle School, has been selected for the People to People World leadership forum this week to study leadership and explore monuments and institutions in Washington, D.C.

n Moon Area High School seniors Eleanor Aban, Kathleen Donahoe and Zachary Liskay have been selected as 2010 National Merit Scholarship Commended Students.

Nearly 50,000 students with the highest scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. A total of 34,000 students nationwide are recognized as commended students.

• Two West students are recipients of a scholarship established by SAE International for children of its employees.

Chase O'Palka, a graduate of Freedom Area High School, is attending the University of Pittsburgh, where he is majoring in physical therapy, and Madlyn Ponticel, a graduate of Cornell Junior/Senior High School, is attending Pennsylvania State University, where she is majoring in English/pre-law.

Founded in 1991 by SAE International and its affiliate organization, the Performance Review Institute, the $1,000 scholarship is funded through staff donations and proceeds of the SAE Foundation. Since the program's inception, SAE International and PRI have awarded 58 scholarships.

Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and submit an essay on the experience that persuaded them to pursue their chosen careers. Recipients are selected by the SAE Scholarships Committee.

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