Newton County School System is pleased to announce that two Newton High School seniors, Toni Jhay Tucker and Andrew Kabue, have been named semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program recognizes academically promising African American students throughout the nation to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding program participants. More than 150,000 high school juniors requested consideration in the 2009 program when they took the 2007 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Semifinalists are designated within geographic regions and are the highest?scoring program entrants in the states that make up each region.

Both Toni and Andrew will now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for over 800 achievement scholarship awards. In order to advance to the finalist round, the students will have to maintain a record of high academic performance, be endorsed and recommended by their principal, Dr. Roderick Sams, and earn SAT scores that confirm their earlier qualifying test performance.

As testament to their academic success, both Toni Jhay and Andrew have been offered scholarships in excess of $100,000 each to attend Florida A&M University and are still receiving offers from numerous other college and university recruiters.

"Newton High School is extremely proud of Toni Jhay and Andrew for becoming 2009 National Achievement Scholarship recipients, demonstrating the academic excellence we expect of our students," said Dr. Roderick Sams, principal of Newton High School.

"Their accomplishments are the result of preparation combined with the opportunity to display their talents. Thank you Toni Jhay and Andrew for being the examples we want all our students to be."

For more information, contact the Newton County School System Department of Public Relations at (770)784-2908.