National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced that three Rutherford County seniors are among approximately 2,500 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities.

The seniors are Madeline M. Davis (Central Magnet School), Zachery T. Smith (Siegel High School) and Connor R. Thompson (Oakland High School).

Davis has been awarded a National Merit scholarship to the University of Tennessee where she plans to study accounting. Smith has earned a scholarship to the Universtiy of Alabama and plans to study mechanical engineering. Thompson also earned a scholarship of the University of Alabama and plans to study chemical engineering.

Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the Finalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.

The college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners are a part of the distinguished group of about 8,000 high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth more than $35 million.

Earlier this spring, NMSC announced winners of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards and National Merit $2,500 Scholarships. Siegel High School senior Lindsey M. Kirk was awarded a corporate scholarship from the State Farm Companies Foundation through the National Merit Scholarship Program.