SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Laura Moya of Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto and Martha Solis from Roosevelt High School in Fresno each won inaugural Comcast Founders Scholarships of $10,000 for college today at a Comcast special recognition ceremony with elected officials on the steps of the California State Capitol. In addition, Lauren Berger of Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Marcos Ceballos of Yerba Buena High School in San Jose, John Van Houten of Laguna Creek High School in Elk Grove and Joshua Winfield of Floyd I. Marcus High School in Concord each won laptop computers for college. All six students were among the 173 California high school seniors who have won a 2008 Comcast Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship and who were invited to the first-ever California recognition ceremony.
Each student who attended the celebration of education at the capitol received their $1,000 Comcast Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship from their local legislators or Comcast executives, and then had a group photo taken with the legislators from the districts where scholarship winners live. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the four winners of the laptop computers and the two winners of the inaugural $10,000 Comcast Founders Scholarships -- instituted in honor of Ralph J. Roberts, who has served as Director and Chair of the Executive and Finance Committee of the Comcast Board of Directors since November 2002 -- were announced.
Speakers at the event included California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and Steve White, Regional Senior Vice President, Comcast - California. In addition, the students and their families also received a tour of the State Capitol and tickets to attend tonight's Sacramento River Cats vs. Fresno Grizzlies baseball game. For a complete list of California scholarship recipients, visit: http://comcastnorcal.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=234. Interviews and photos with students, elected officials and Comcast executives are available upon request.
"I am so pleased to join Comcast in recognizing these outstanding high school seniors throughout California," said Superintendent Jack O'Connell. "A powerful way that business can support our schools is to recognize and encourage the many programs that are improving student achievement. Comcast understands this. With their incredible support, we are celebrating education in our community at this very special event and throughout the year."
"Education is key to the future of our children, our communities and our workforce," stated Steve White, Regional Senior Vice President, Comcast - California. "At Comcast, we are committed to doing our part to ensure we invest in our children through scholarships, educational tools, and by honoring those individuals that make a difference to improve our educational systems to ensure that children have the foundation necessary to succeed in school and beyond."
About the Comcast "Leaders And Achiever's(R) Scholarship Program"
This year in California, Comcast is recognizing 173 young people with scholarships -- for a total of $173,000 in grants -- as part of Comcast's 2008 national Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship Program. Each student receives a $1,000 grant.
The Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship Program, one of the Comcast Foundation's signature community investment programs, recognizes high school seniors for their leadership skills, positive attitude, academic achievement and various community service activities including mentoring and tutoring younger students, volunteering at hospitals and participating in relief efforts. The Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship Program reinforces Comcast's commitment to developing young leaders and provides them with every opportunity to achieve their goal.
In 2008, the program will grant more than $1.9 million, recognizing 1,965 students attending high schools in Comcast communities across the country. Since its inception in 2000, the program has awarded close to $10 million in college aid to more than 9,000 high school seniors.
Each year, Comcast works with high school principals, guidance counselors and school administrators to select the scholarship recipients. The Leaders and Achievers(R) Scholarship Program is managed by Scholarship Program Administrators -- an independent, not-for-profit organization that manages corporate and corporate foundation scholarship programs. For more information on the Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program, visit http://www.comcast.com/scholarships.
About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was established by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 and is the company's chief source of charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs that work to create a positive, sustainable impact within our communities in the areas of volunteerism, literacy, and youth leadership development. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $43 million to organizations in the communities that Comcast serves. More information about The Foundation and its programs is available at http://www.comcast.com/ -- click on "About," then "In the Community".
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (http://www.comcast.com/) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. With 24.7 million cable customers, 14.1 million high-speed Internet customers, and 5.2 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten Comcast SportsNet networks and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet business. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.
