MINNEAPOLIS, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Scholarship America® is pleased to announce the national winners of the 2012 national awards of excellence to Dollars for Scholars® chapters as follows: Dr. Irving Fradkin National Chapter of the Year: Oldham County Dollars for Scholars, Kentucky; Stuart and Marlys Johnson National New Chapter of the Year: Tri-West Dollars for Scholars, Indiana; and the Ralph "Cy" Seifert National Volunteer of the Year Award: Kathy Wright, Greater Riverside Dollars for Scholars, California. All award winners received $2,000 awards, in addition to the $500 they received for winning the regional competitions.
"We are thrilled to have such outstanding individuals sharing their time and talents with Dollars for Scholars, and it's with great pleasure that we honor them with these prestigious awards," said Lauren Segal, president and CEO of Scholarship America. "On behalf of Scholarship America, I would like to personally thank these chapters and volunteers and ask that they keep up the fantastic work that truly changes the lives of students everywhere."
Chapters and volunteers from any Dollars for Scholars chapter are eligible to apply for the awards. One applicant per category is chosen from each region as the Regional Volunteer, Chapter, or New Chapter of the Year and are automatically entered into the national competition. The awards honor chapters and volunteers for going above and beyond the call of duty in their work for students in their communities.
Finnie Ng of Los Angeles, Calif., was named National Student Volunteer of the Year and was awarded $2,500 in scholarships. Finnie was nominated by her local Dollars for Scholars chapter, Abraham Lincoln Sr. High School Dollars for Scholars, for contributing more than 4,000 hours of her time volunteer work. She is also an academic all-star, earning 26 offices and awards.
"It is an honor to award such a talented and giving young woman with this scholarship. Finnie embodies exactly what Scholarship America and our Dollars for Scholars program is about-serving communities at a grassroots level to improve the lives of local citizens," added Segal.
Members of the National Selection Committee were Debbie Busching, South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars, Indiana; Danuta Lysy, CSF of Westfield Dollars for Scholars, Massachusetts; Cy Seifert, HR trustee; Amy Nelson, North American Power; Dianne Anderson, Capital Group, California; Mike Madden, Symetra Financial, Washington; Mark Turchan, Deere and Co., Iowa; Marie O'Malley, Sallie Mae, New England, Colleen O'Brien, education consultant, Indiana.
About Scholarship America®
Scholarship America® is a national education service organization that mobilizes support for students getting into and graduating from college. Scholarship America has distributed more than $2.7 billion in scholarship assistance to more than 1.8 million students over the last 50 years. Scholarship America's programs, which include Dollars for Scholars®, help fund both entry-level and multi-year scholarships, as well as emergency financial grants. More information is available at scholarshipamerica.org.
SOURCE Scholarship America
