Patrick O'Keeffe, a first-year student from West St. Paul, Minn., was awarded the 2011 Merit Award scholarship from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. 

The $1,000 Merit Award scholarships are awarded to only 52 outstanding new society members out of hundreds of applicants nationwide. The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an honors organization for high achieving first- and second-year students at 300 universities nationwide.

Merit Award recipients are selected based on how they honor and inspire academic excellence and engage citizenship for a lifetime on their campus throughout their undergraduate experience as explained through a series of essay questions.

For more information on the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and a complete list of all past Merit Award recipients 2003-present, visit nscs.org/scholarships/merit-award.