Contact: Jill Grozalsky
Qorvis Communications
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Twenty-Five Students Receive New York Horatio Alger State Scholarship
Horatio Alger Association Makes Scholarships Possible for Local Teens

WASHINGTON, July 5, 2011 – The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is pleased to announce that it has awarded scholarships to 25 outstanding high school students in New York. This is the first time the Horatio Alger Association has offered a state scholarship in New York.

Each scholar will receive $5,000 toward their college education. The students were selected for the Horatio Alger New York Scholarship because they persevered in overcoming adversity while succeeding academically, contributing to the community and exhibiting exemplary character.

“We are privileged to provide scholarships to the deserving students from New York to attend college and achieve the American dream,” said Terrence J. Giroux, executive director of the Horatio Alger Association. “These students have overcome challenges in their lives and have become stronger, more determined people because of it.”

The New York scholarships are made possible by the Horatio Alger Association. With this state program, the association is now realizing its goal to provide state scholarships to students in all 50 states for the first time in the association’s history.

The state scholarships range from $2,500 to $20,000 and are sponsored by Horatio Alger members and friends. This year, the programs are awarding more than 850 state scholarships to students throughout the country.

Horatio Alger scholars are provided with numerous resources to ensure a successful college career. Each student receives:

• Financial aid guidance to assist in the selection of, and preparation for, college.
• Access to the association’s website, where students can create online profiles, search for fellow scholars, update their personal information, submit disbursement requests and direct questions to the association.
• Access to a toll-free information line, to speak to program coordinators for assistance with questions about their scholarships and other educational programs.

The 2011 New York recipients are:   

• Dante Allen, Huntington High School, Huntington
• Ana Antic, William Floyd High School, Mastic Beach
• William Biersack, John Jay Senior High School, Hopewell Jct
• Genesis Ciprian, Health Opportunities High School, Bronx
• John Cleary, Seaford High School, Seaford
• Maurice Dunn, Bayard Rustin High School Humanities, New York
• Joan Fernandez, Francis Lewis High School, Fresh Meadows
• Drew Glover, Kenmore West Senior High School, Buffalo
• Rachel Kehinde, Midwood High School at Brooklyn College, Brooklyn
• Nakyung Kim, Bronx High School of Science, Bronx
• Anthony LaMancusa, Saint Josephs Collegiate Institute, Buffalo
• Wendy Lin, Laguardia High School Music Art, New York
• Camille Lin, Hunter College High School, New York
• Estefany Maria, Health Opportunites High School, Bronx
• Ricardo Millings, Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, Brooklyn
• Funlola Otukoya, Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High School, Elmont
• Natalia Palacio, Valley Stream South High School, Valley Stream
• Shawnja Pratt, Amherst Central High School, Amherst
• Princess Raghunath, Scholars’ Academy, New York
• Rubab Rehman, Walt Whitman High School, Huntington Sta
• Suheiri Rodriquez, High School Environmental Studies, New York
• Itka Safir, Odessa Montour Central School, Odessa
• Hawa Sako, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn
• Karen Thompson, Valley Central High School, Montgomery
• Sayid Yasin, Arlington High School, Lagrangeville

To view the complete list of Horatio Alger scholars and members, visit our website at www.horatioalger.org. The 2012 Horatio Alger Scholarship Application will be available beginning August 1 – October 30, 2011 at www.horatioalger.org/scholarships.

About the Horatio Alger Association:
Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans continues to fulfill its mission of honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals in our society who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. The Horatio Alger Association offers three annual scholarship programs: the National Scholarship Program, state scholarship programs, and graduate grants. The association will have awarded more than $87 million in scholarships through 2012 to deserving young people determined to earn college degrees. The association is a Combined Federal Campaign participant; # 77062. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org

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