TRENTON, N.J., May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --The Comcast Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide charitable support to its local communities and to empower and enrich lives, is awarding 73 New Jersey high school seniors scholarships through its annual Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program. The program, one of the Comcast Foundation's signature community investment initiatives, recognizes students' leadership skills, academic achievement and commitment to community service.
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Comcast, joined by New Jersey Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and other government officials, recognized the students at a special event held Tuesday at the Trenton War Memorial. 72 of the 2013 New Jersey Leaders and Achievers recipients received $1,000 scholarships. Nicole DeSario from Montgomery Township High School in Skillman, NJ was awarded a $10,000 Comcast Founder's Scholarship - instituted in honor of Ralph J. Roberts, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Comcast Corporation - for a total of $82,000 awarded this year to New Jersey high school seniors. After a prize drawing, 10 students were also given tablet computers to use at college.
"As a resident of a small shore town, I understand how important civic involvement is to a community," said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno."Through their commitment to community service, these student leaders stand as a shining example for the entire Garden State. I commend the Comcast Foundation for recognizing the dedication of these students and the investment Comcast is making in their future."
The Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program provides one-time $1000 scholarships to students who strive to achieve their potential, who are catalysts for positive change in their communities, who are involved in their schools, and who serve as models for their fellow students. The philosophy behind the program is to give young people every opportunity to be prepared for the future, to engage youth in their communities, and to demonstrate the importance of civic involvement, and the value placed on civic involvement by the business community.
"These students are more than hard workers and academic achievers. They also understand the importance of taking an active role in their communities and giving back," said LeAnn Talbot senior vice president for Comcast's Freedom Region. "We are thrilled to help further the education of this next generation and wish them the very best in their future endeavors."
Since the program's inception, nearly $19 million in scholarship money has been presented to more than 19,000 scholarship winners nationwide.
2013 Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Winners from New Jersey:
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS (by County where the high school is located)
Atlantic
Egg Harbor Township - Omolola Agabalogun of Egg Harbor Township High School
Richland - Kevin Houser of Saint Augustine Prep
Bergen
Rutherford - Dante Phillips of St. Mary High School
Burlington
Bordentown - Dominique Douthit of Bordentown Regional High School
Burlington - Danielle Laing of Burlington City High School
Cinnaminson - Erin Staudenmayer of Cinnaminson High School
Columbus - Krista Leili-Marazzo of Northern Burlington County High School
Mount Holly - Akayla Butler of Burlington County Institute of Technology
Riverside - Nicholas Zoppina of Riverside High School
Willingboro - Sydney McLaughlin of Willingboro High School
Camden
Audubon - Mariah Thomas of Audubon High School
Camden - Kendall Haskins of Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy
Camden - Marcellus Hill of Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High School
Camden - Denisse Sanchez of Camden Academy Charter High School
Cherry Hill - Elise Corbett of Camden Catholic High School
Cherry Hill - Raymond Horner of Cherry Hill High School West
Cherry Hill - Sung Min Oh of Cherry Hill High School East
Gloucester City - Nicole Coleman of Gloucester City High School
Haddonfield - Sylvia Strauss of Haddonfield Memorial High School
Lindenwold - Therese Sinfuego of Lindenwold High School
Sicklerville - Carolina Reza of Gloucester Township Technical High School
Cape May
Cape May Court House - Matthew Powers of Cape May County Technical High School
Wildwood - Anthony Madle of Wildwood High School
Cumberland
Bridgeton - Diana Sandoval of Bridgeton High School
Millville - Brooke Deckert of Millville Senior High School
Essex
East Orange - Kotoyia Miller of East Orange Campus High School
Irvington - Nelly Sekyere of Irvington High School
Montclair - Samantha Sawh of Immaculate Conception High School
Newark - Leo Ricketts of University High School
Newark - Kenrick Taylor of Barringer High School
West Caldwell - Julie Eller of James Caldwell High School
Gloucester
Franklinville - Pasquale Carione of Delsea Regional High School
Sewell - Andrew Gerber of Washington Township High School
Williamstown - Adele Taylor of Williamstown High School
Hudson
Jersey City - Corayma Guerra of Saint Anthony High School
Jersey City - Kennix Lee of Dr. Ronald McNair Academic High School
Jersey City - Juan Morales of Liberty High School
Jersey City - Meet Shah of William L. Dickinson High School
Jersey City - Ziyadah Williams of University Academy Charter School at New Jersey City University
Kearny - Noemi Santos of Kearny High School
Secaucus - Ryan Nunez of Secaucus High School
Hunterdon
Annandale - Emily Chen of North Hunterdon High School
Glen Gardner - Christina Giordano of Voorhees High School
Mercer
Ewing - Ronald Hennig of Ewing High School
Hightstown - Tyler Switsky of Hightstown High School
Pennington - Diana Bartosik of Mcvs Sypek Center Vocational School
Trenton - Sydney Ince of Mcvs Assunpink Vocational School
Trenton - Barry Johnson of Trenton High School West
West Windsor - Erin McElwee of West Windsor/Plainsboro High School South
Middlesex
East Brunswick - Alaukita Shah of East Brunswick High School
Perth Amboy - Heidy Mendez of Perth Amboy High School
Plainsboro - Benjamin Zhang of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
Woodbridge - Daniela Cardona of Woodbridge High School
Monmouth
Highlands - Stephen Sabatini of Marine Academy of Science & Technology
Rumson - Gabriella Minassian of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
Morris
Flanders - Jennie Abat of Mount Olive Township High School
Moorestown - Shanelle Jones of Moorestown Friends School
Ocean
Brick - John Morone of Brick Township High School
Brick - Samantha Rioux of Brick Township Memorial High School
Toms River - Brandon Karpowich of Toms River High School North
Toms River - Chan Budhram of Ocean County Vocational-Technical School
Salem
Woodstown - Allison Hitchner of Woodstown High School
Somerset
North Plainfield - Jihad Womack of North Plainfield High School
Skillman - Nicole DeSario of Montgomery Township High School
Union
Berkeley Heights - Marianne Middlebrook of Governor Livingston High School
Clark - Christian Alvarado of Arthur L. Johnson High School
Plainfield - Chelci Mitchell of Plainfield High School
Roselle Park - Parth Patel of Roselle Park High School
Springfield - Chris Scalzo of Jonathan Dayton Regional High School
Union - Tatiana Oliveira of Union High School
Warren
Hackettstown - Brandon Rothman of Hackettstown High School
Washington - Marisa Gallagher of Warren County Voc-Tech Institute
Washington - Pravallika Tadikonda of Warren Hills Regional High School
About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities - promoting community service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated over $123 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates 30 news and entertainment cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
SOURCE Comcast Foundation
