CHS student named scholarship program semifinalist

Leroy H. Williams of Calabasas High School has been named a semifinalist in the 38th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program, a privately-financed academic competition for Black American high school seniors.

The program was initiated at the time the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, specifically to honor outstanding black youth and to increase their opportunities for higher education.

Williams was among more than 110,000 black students from all parts of the U.S. who entered the 2002 Achievement Program by requesting consideration when he took the 2000 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a high school junior. The 1,500 semifinalists were designated on a regional representation basis and are the highest-scoring program entrants in the states that make up each geographic region.

Williams now has an opportunity to continue in the competition for more than 700 Achievement Scholarship awards, worth about $2.5 million, that will be offered next spring for college undergraduate study.

Williams indicated his college major to be dramatic arts/theater and career choice as actor.