2006-10-13
New Rochelle High School Student Receives Manhattanville Scholarship
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Manhattanville College recently awarded a full four-year scholarship to Joanna Castillo, a graduating senior at New Rochelle High School, during a daylong program, “Invest in Success: A Partnership for Access to Higher Education.”
The scholarship winner was chosen from submissions to an essay contest that was open to all Hispanic high school students in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester and Rockland counties who have a GPA of 3.0 or better. The “Invest in Success" program is sponsored by Manhattanville College and its purpose is to increase collaboration between community organizations and the college, as well as encourage high school students to pursue a higher education.
Norma Maximo, Publisher/Editor of El Aguila News, addressed high school students from several area schools at the “Invest in Success” event. El Aguila News is a free bilingual newspaper for members of the Hispanic community in Westchester County.
Maximo stressed the importance of pursuing a college education and urged students to take advantage of their opportunities. “Education will provide you with more vision, more structure, and you will go further in your future,” she said. As an immigrant who came to the United States in 1967 from Honduras, Maximo explained how she had to tackle many obstacles on her way to achieving her education, including taking English classes without credit in order to have the requirements necessary to take a college level English class.
She also advised students to get involved in community service projects. "Education is not the only important part of earning a degree," Maximo said. “Taking part in community service projects enables you to earn skills and employers will look to see what extracurricular activities you have engaged in while in college.”
The Manhattanville College “Invest in Success” scholarship program was established in 2000 to promote higher education opportunities among students of Hispanic and African descent. Twice a year, a full Manhattanville College scholarship is given to a student of either African or Hispanic Heritage (once in February in honor of Black History Month and once in October in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month).
The scholarship covers full tuition, room and board for four years, provided that the student maintains a minimum 3.0 grade point average, completes 30 hours each semester in Duchesne Center community service programs, and remains in good social standing.
More than 70 high school students attended the October 11 event, which also featured a workshop entitled “Knowing Yourself, Finding Your Fit: Choosing the Right College” and a college fair.