Megan Abbott of Fair Oaks Ranch, a rising senior at TMI – The Episcopal School of Texas, was named a finalist for a Samsung American Legion Scholarship

Abbott is one of 100 national finalists for 12 scholarships, each worth $12,000. She was selected by the staff of Texas Bluebonnet Girls State, held June 12-18 at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin.

Samsung, an electronics company founded in Korea, joined with the American Legion to offer this educational opportunity to the descendants of wartime veterans who served honorably. Finalists are chosen on the basis of academics, school and community involvement.

At TMI, Abbott is the recipient of an Alkek Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition merit award. A member of the National Honor Society and of the school’s community-service organization, she will serve as battalion executive officer of the Texas Military Institute Corps of Cadets during the 2011-2012 school year.  She has won numerous science-fair awards and is a Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy Scholar at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. 

Her parents, Chong and David Abbott, served with the U.S. Army during the Persian Gulf War.

Girls State delegates attend the program in the summer between their junior and senior years of high school to learn about state and local government through lectures and hands-on activities.  Delegates are nominated by their school and a local American Legion Auxiliary Post; Abbott represented Post 2, 3518 Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio.