STAFF REPORT

Three Selma Early College seniors have been named semifinalists in the national scholarship competition sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

Frank Chestnut III, Zachery Phillips and Louis Armstrong will compete with seniors nationwide for 250 awards, which include 50 four-year scholarships that provide $20,000 per year, and 200 four-year scholarships that provide $10,000 per year for the institution of the recipient’s choice.

Out of 80,000 students who applied, 2,000 have been named semifinalists. Selections were based on the strength of an application that includes grade point average and extracurricular activities.

For the next step of the process, the three will fill out a more extensive application and travel to Atlanta for interviews, where meals and housing will be provided during the process.

All three youths will graduate from Selma High School with their Early College class in the spring of 2008 with associate’s degrees earned through the program. Their class will be the first from the program. More than half the class will have associate’s degrees, and everyone will have college credit.

Chestnut is not sure which college he will attend. He said his choice would definitely be in-state because he plans to continue his education beyond a bachelor’s degree, and said he would rather not go so far, so soon. &8220;I have time for that later,&8221; Chestnut said. He plans to study anthropology and biology.

Armstrong said he is looking at Tuskegee University to pursue veterinary medicine and psychology. &8220;I’m trying to work something out with those two majors,&8221; Armstrong said.

Phillips said he is looking at either Georgia Tech or Tuskegee, where he plans to double major in biological and electrical engineering, getting a master’s in electrical engineering and a doctorate in biological engineering.