Alisa Ballard and Ziying Zhang of Putnam City North High School have been named Robert C. Byrd Scholars by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

The Byrd Honors Scholarship Program promotes academic excellence and recognizes exceptional high school seniors who show promise of continued achievement. Byrd Scholars receive $1,500 for the first year of study at an institution of higher learning. The federally funded scholarship may be renewed for up to three years.

Seventy-three graduating seniors in Oklahoma were named Byrd Scholars this year. They were honored in ceremonies in early May in the Mabee Center at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.