Lani W. Allen, a student at George C. Marshall High School, is among more than 1,600 black American high school seniors who have been designated semifinalists in the 50th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program.

These scholastically talented young men and women now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 800 Achievement Scholarship awards worth about $2.5 million that will be offered next spring.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program, conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation, is a privately financed academic competition initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students throughout the nation and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding program participants. To date, approximately 32,700 young men and women have received Achievement Scholarship awards worth about $103 million.