The Comcast Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide charitable support to its local communities and to empower and enrich lives, has awarded scholarships to 101 Maryland high school seniors 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.
Comcast, joined by Governor Martin O’Malley, Dr. Darla Strouse, Executive Director of the Maryland State Department of Education’s Partnerships and Recognition Programs, and other local elected officials recognized the students at a special event held yesterday at the Historic Inns of Annapolis. One hundred of the 2014 Maryland Leaders and Achievers recipients received $1,000 scholarships. Gloria Barrientos Sanchez, a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md., was awarded a $10,000 Comcast Founders Scholarship— instituted in honor of Ralph J. Roberts, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Comcast Corporation— for a total of $110,000 awarded this year to Maryland high school students. After a prize drawing, two students were also given iPads to use at college.
“Congratulations to this year’s scholarship winners for exceptional achievements in both their classrooms and communities,” said Governor O’Malley. “There is no greater ladder of opportunity than a quality education, that’s why we’ve made the better choice to invest in our number-one-in-the-nation schools and hold down the cost of college for Maryland families to the lowest levels nationally. I’d like to thank Comcast for its ongoing support of Maryland students.”
“These outstanding scholars are a tribute to the tireless efforts of teachers, administrators and parents who have worked so hard to help them succeed,” said Dr. Lillian M. Lowery, State Superintendent of Schools, Maryland State Department of Education. “We are fortunate in Maryland to also have forward-thinking corporate citizens, like Comcast— committed to helping our students thrive.”
“In today’s high-tech businesses, advanced education and training are more important than ever,” added Donna Rattley Washington, Comcast’s regional vice president of government and community affairs. “Comcast is dedicated to helping students succeed so they can go on to deliver the next great innovation. We
applaud this year’s outstanding scholarship winners and are excited to see them take the next step in their academic journeys.”
The Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program provides $1,000 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 prepare for the future and to engage them in their communities. The program also demonstrates the importance of civic involvement, and the value placed on civic involvement by the business community.
To date, Comcast has awarded more than $21.6 million to nearly 21,000 Leaders and Achievers Scholarship winners.