EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- Montwood High School in El Paso is one of 300 public middle and high schools from across the nation that were honored as state finalists in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) competition, Samsung Electronics America announced on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Montwood High was among seven schools in Texas that were selected as state finalists. Each state finalist will get a $2,500 technology prize pack for their school, Samsung said. Montwood HS is part of the Socorro Independent School District. This is an "initial milestone on the path" toward three national winners being picked, Samsung said in a news release. More than $2 million in prizes will be awarded to this year's participating schools, the company said. The 300 state finalists were selected from thousands of applications across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Samsung said. “Solve for Tomorrow has long embodied Samsung’s strategy, purpose, and values,” said Salman Taufiq, director of Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics America. “From our roots as a small television manufacturer in the 1960s to becoming a global technology leader, STEM has been part of our DNA. As we celebrate 15 years of Solve for Tomorrow, we are proud to continue our commitment to ensuring America’s students stay engaged in STEM education and pursue careers in this field. These State Finalist teams are answering that call by engaging technology for good, like their quick adoption of AI to power wide-ranging solutions that address not only pressing challenges in their communities but also global issues.”