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$1 Million in Broad Prize Scholarships Awarded to 52 High School Seniors to Attend College

LOS ANGELES, May 24, 2012—The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation announced today it has awarded $1 million in Broad Prize college scholarships to 52 graduating high school seniors whose school districts were recognized last year as the most improved urban school districts in the country.

The scholarships were awarded to students in four school districts that were finalists for the 2011 Broad (pronounced like “road”) Prize, the largest education prize in the country given each year to urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among income and ethnic groups.

The winner of the 2011 Broad Prize was North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which received $550,000 in scholarships. The three finalist districts that each received $150,000 in scholarships were Broward County Public Schools and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, both in Florida, and the Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, Texas.

“We congratulate these students for their academic improvement the last four years,” said Eli Broad, founder of The Broad Foundation, a national education philanthropy based in Los Angeles. “Just as these four school districts have been recognized nationally for boosting student achievement, these students represent what is possible with hard work and support from their teachers, parents and their entire communities. We look forward to great accomplishments from these students in college and beyond.”

Unlike many traditional scholarships that are awarded only to top-tier students, Broad Prize scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who have a demonstrated record of improving their grades over the course of their high school career and have a financial need.

Broad Prize scholars receive two- or four-year scholarships depending on the type of institution they choose to attend. Scholarship recipients who enroll in four-year institutions receive $20,000 paid out over four years ($5,000 per year). Students who enroll in two-year institutions receive $5,000 scholarships paid out over two years ($2,500 per year). The scholarship selection and disbursement process is managed by Scholarship America.

A full list of this year’s scholarship recipients by school district is below.

Since the first Broad Prize was awarded in 2002, more than 1,100 students nationwide have received college scholarships.

The winner of the 2012 Broad Prize will be announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Oct. 23 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This year’s finalists are Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the School District of Palm Beach County, Fla., Corona-Norco Unified School District in Riverside County, Calif., and the Houston Independent School District.

Founded by self-made entrepreneur Eli Broad and his wife Edythe, both graduates of Detroit Public Schools, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation is a philanthropy that seeks to ensure that every student in an urban public school has the opportunity to succeed. Bringing together top education experts and practitioners, the foundation funds system-wide programs and policies that strengthen public schools by creating environments that allow good teachers to do great work and enable students of all backgrounds to learn and thrive. The Broad Foundation’s Internet address is www.broadeducation.org, and updates are available on Twitter @broadfoundation. For more information about The Broad Prize, please visit www.broadprize.org.

The following eight seniors from Broward County Public Schools were selected to receive Broad Prize scholarships:

Kyle Becker, Monarch High
Kiani Daley, Pompano Beach High
Islam Khalil, West Broward High
Sergio Pineda, Everglades High
Yamna Sheikh, Everglades High
Cindy Sully, Coconut Creek High
Khadijah Templier, Coral Glades High
Alexandra Vonelli, Nova High

The following 28 seniors from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were selected to receive Broad Prize scholarships:

Suehier Ali, West Mecklenburg High
Ana Arias, East Mecklenburg High
Meredith Avant, Independence High
Kenza Benhammou, Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology
Ethan Blankenship, William Amos Hough High
Jesse Borower, South Mecklenburg High
Joel Brown, North Mecklenburg High
Kevin Cutrara, North Mecklenburg High
Dat Do, School of International Studies and Global Economics
Nigel Donald, School of International Studies and Global Economics
K’Dejah Feliciano, Myers Park High
Dana Friday, South Mecklenburg High
Jessica Fuller, West Charlotte High
Damian Gillard, Garinger High
Jeremy Harrison, Mallard Creek High
Myles Jenkins, Math, Engineering, Technology & Science at Olympic High
Rashad Kee, Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology

Miriam Magana, Garinger High
Nicholas Mariano, East Mecklenburg High
Bukola Onasanya, Myers Park High
Katherine Roberts, Rocky River High
Jonneshia Smith, Zebulon B. Vance High
Vaughn Suber, Zebulon B. Vance High
Bria Sweat, Myers Park High
Kyri Waden, International Business & Communication Studies at Olympic
Jess West, Butler High
Elexus White, Garinger High
Sydney Williams, Garinger High

The following eight seniors from Miami-Dade County Public Schools were selected to receive Broad Prize scholarships:

Jazmin J. Granger, William H. Turner Technical Arts High
Christopher G. Hurtado, School for Advanced Studies-South
Jatara James, William H. Turner Technical Arts High
Steeve O. Jerome, Miami Central High
Maria Rivera, Robert Morgan Educational Center
Isabelly Rosario, Westland Hialeah Senior High
Shadae Tomlinson, William H. Turner Technical Arts High
Felicia G. White, School for Advanced Studies-Wolfson

The following eight seniors from the Ysleta Independent School District were selected to receive Broad Prize scholarships:

Jazmin Fragoso, Riverside High
Kristian Garcia, Hanks High
Shawn Grado, Riverside High
Vanessa Lara, Bel Air High
Laura Lopez, Eastwood High
Jesus Saenz, Bel Air High
Angelo Soto, Del Valle High
Victoria Velo, Ysleta High

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