AREA STUDENTS RECEIVE BYRD SCHOLARSHIPS WORTH $1,500

Top-ranking Missouri high school students who graduated this year have been chosen to receive Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarships to attend the college or university of their choice.

The $1,500 scholarships are awarded in each of Missouri's nine congressional districts. A total of 127 awards are given.

Winning Byrd Scholarships in the Eighth Congressional District are Alyssa C. Browning, Teresa A. Paikeday, Carol R. Robinson and Takara L. Stanley, all of Cape Girardeau; Kim E. Prevallet, Perryville; Susan R. Eckerle, Marble Hill; Sherry L. Bryant and Holden R. Higginbotham, both of Farmington; Eric S. Mullins, Kennett; Heather Ramsey, New Madrid; Audrey E. Brown, Jeremiah S. Duncan and John C. Myers, all of Rolla; and Timothy A. Blucker, Salem.

The federally-funded Byrd Honors Scholarship Program, now in its seventh year, is conducted in Missouri by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. About 1,000 students in public and private high schools applied for the awards this spring.

The Byrd Scholarships recognize academic achievement. State education officials selected winners based on their scores on college-entry exams, high school grade averages and class rank.