By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

Nine Greater Cincinnati high school seniors are among 29 from Ohio and 800 nationally receiving scholarships through the National Achievement Scholarship Program, which recognizes the nation's top African-American students.

They are among 1,300 finalists - and 120,000 high school students overall -who entered the achievement program by requesting consideration when they took the 2002 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as juniors.

Only two Ohio high schools, Cincinnati's Walnut Hills and Hathaway Brown in Shaker Heights, had more than one scholarship winner. Each school had two students who are receiving scholarships.

Scholarship winners Ashley Trotter and Carol Udoh are among Walnut Hills' 490 students who will take 1,051 advanced placement tests for college credit next month. Ashley is taking four exams; Carol is taking five.

"Both of them are high achievers," said Stephanie Morton, assistant principal at Walnut Hills High School. "They have taken a number of advance placement classes and have excelled. We're so very excited and proud of them."

Three of the scholarship winners, Kristal Dobbins of Lakota West High School, Cherie Garvis of Princeton High School and Melanie Murphy of St. Ursula Academy, were also named National Merit semifinalists last fall.

To attain finalist standing, achievement semifinalists had to be recommended by their high school principal, write an essay and meet other requirements.

The winners were judged to have the strongest record of accomplishments and greatest potential for academic success in college. Seven hundred students received $2,500 National Achievement scholarships and 100 received corporate-sponsored achievement awards. This year's scholarships are valued at $2.3 million.

No students from Northern Kentucky or Southeastern Indiana won scholarships.

Southwest Ohio winners were:

• Chelsea Crawford, Wyoming High School, National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship sponsored by State Farm Cos. Foundation.

• Lena Eastin, Seven Hills School, National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship.

• Sydney Morton, Sycamore High School, National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship.

• Ericka Spears, Roger Bacon High School, National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship.

• Ashley Trotter and Carol Udoh, Walnut Hills High School, National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship

• Kristal Dobbins, Lakota West High School, National Merit Scholarship Corp. Achievement Award.

• Cherie Garvis, Princeton High School, National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship

• Melanie Murphy, St. Ursula Academy, National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship

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E-mail suek@infionlline.net