A Morgan Academy senior is one step closer to earning a prestigious national scholarship.

Charlie Ammons has been selected as a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship competition, led by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which recognizes and honors academically talented students across the country. Charlie said it felt good to know his months of preparation landed him a spot as one of 15,000 chosen to advance.

“It’s just nice to know that your efforts have been rewarded,” Charlie said.

Beginning in March, NMSC will notify winners of the three types of National Merit scholarships: National Merit $25,000 scholarships, corporate-sponsored scholarships and college-sponsored scholarships.

“We [Morgan Academy] just think he’s been provided with an excellent opportunity there, and we just feel blessed that he was able to go to that school and learn from people who cared about him,” Reyndy Ammons, who is Charlie’s mother and also is a teacher at Morgan, said.

The competition began October 2012 with 1.5 million entrants who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and met other program participation requirements. Nearly all program participants were juniors who planned to enter college in 2014.

Charlie, who plans to attend Auburn University as a chemical engineering major, said he worked hard to make sure he made immaculate test scores.

Charlie is still months from learning if he will be deemed a winner. But until that time comes, he is more than content with his new title as National Merit Scholarship finalist.