Two students from Hawaii public schools have been named winners of the National Merit Scholarship.

Shirley Li, from Kalani High School, and Cameron James Morgan, from Moanalua High School, were awarded $2,500 today after being chosen from a pool of 15,000 other finalists and 1.6 million total entrants from around the country.

“We are proud of these students for their great achievements, representing the power and promise of public education in Hawaii,” said Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. “Congratulations to them and their families, as well as the teachers and administrators who established innovative and equitable academic experiences that enabled their students to thrive. We wish each of them the best as they pursue their college and career goals.”

Li and Morgan were chosen based on their abilities, skills, accomplishments and potential to succeed in college.

According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the information available for judging included entrants’ academic records, which included their grades and difficulty of their courses, scores from two standardized tests, contributions and leadership in school and community activities, an essay written by the entrant and a recommendation written by a high school official.

Li looks to study medicine, and Morgan is planning to study computer science.