By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

Thirty-six Southwest Ohio graduates are among 238 students statewide who were named Robert C. Byrd Scholars.

Each will receive a four-year renewable $1,500 scholarship that can be used at any accredited college or university. Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Education.

Ohio high schools were allowed to nominate one student for each 200 seniors enrolled. The Ohio Department of Education scored and ranked the students.

Criteria included the student's grade point average, ACT or SAT scores and class rank. The 17-year-old award is named after U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.

"The Byrd Scholars are some of Ohio's brightest scholars and among the top in the nation," said J.C. Benton, Ohio Education Department spokesman.

Last year, 188 Byrd Scholars from Ohio received the scholarships, Benton said. This year's winners and their high schools:

Butler County

John Thomas, Bishop Fenwick; Mark Potter and Scott Rose, Fairfield; Christopher Ryan, Lakota East; David Helsinger, Lakota West; Zachary Morningstar, Lemon-Monroe; Leah Sabato, Ross; Kyle Blakley, Talawanda.

Clermont County

Allison Wash, Bethel-Tate; and Michael Salerno, Milford.

Clinton County

Kathlee Moore, Wilmington.

Hamilton County

Jonathan Herr, Elder; Jarrod Betz, LaSalle; Denise Brunck, Mount Notre Dame; Catherine Hedgebeth, St. Ursula Academy; Vivek Ramaswamy, St. Xavier; Annika Goldman, Walnut Hills; Andrew Wilfong, Deer Park;

Mikaela Adams, Finneytown; Sara Marketos, Anderson; Brette Garner, Turpin; Stephen Knoepfler, Summit Country Day; Shawn Dimantha, Indian Hill; Daniel Maggard, Mariemont; Rachel Bensman, Anna Rahtz and Jennie Timperman, Colerain;

Marcus Kreps, Northwest; Katie Bailey, Princeton; Evan Joiner, Seven Hills; Jacqueline Kinnemeyer, William Henry Harrison; Karthik Balasubramanian, Sycamore; and Caitlin Wetzel, Wyoming.

Warren County

Emily Hamburg, Little Miami; Colin Craft, Mason; and Julie Foster, Springboro.

E-mail suek@infionline.net