Durham high school student surprised with $25,000 Chick-fil-A scholarship

ATLANTA (WTVD) -- A local high school student got a major boost from Chick-fil-A.

The fast-food chain announced the winners of its 2024 Community Scholars program.

The 12 high school students got the big news with a surprise announcement in Atlanta.

Each winner will receive a $25,000 scholarship to pursue their academic goals, including Merry Wang, a Fayetteville teenager who attends the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham.

"At first, I didn't believe it," Merry said. "I didn't expect that."

Merry plans to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall and study computer science.

Along with the scholarship, Merry and the 11 other winners were invited to participate in a year-long leadership development program.