Friday May 25, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 21 |
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Friday, Aug 29, 2008
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GSBA awards 27 scholarships to exceptional students who overcame the odds 2007 scholarships total $113,000 |
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| GSBA awards 27 scholarships to exceptional students who overcame the odds 2007 scholarships total $113,000 | ||
| SEATTLE, May 22 - The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) announced today awarding college scholarship to 27 outstanding students totaling $113,000. GSBA honored these students at its 17th Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner on Friday, May 18 at the Westin Hotel in Seattle. The GSBA honors recipients who have not only proven high academic excellence but also those that have overcome remarkable obstacles and hardships in their lives. The students have excelled not only in school but have also made a difference in their communities. "The GSBA Scholarship Program enriches our city through its cultivation of future leaders who reflect our diverse community as well as possess a strong commitment to social justice and equality," said Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who attended the dinner. GSBA scholarship recipients are involved with a variety of educational pursuits in fields ranging from the arts to business, filmmaking to law school, medical science to psychology. "The recipients of the scholarship awards have compelling stories to tell and without the scholarship money, some wouldn't even be able to attend college," GSBA Executive Director Louise Chernin said. "We have recipients who went through the foster care system; some had to raise siblings on their own, and others who made it through life-threatening illnesses while at the same time excelling academically at school. The program is not exclusive to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) students. Any student with strong academic achievement, leadership skills and a demonstrated commitment to equality is eligible for the program. To the scholarship recipients, their award means much more than just money for school. "Receiving a scholarship means for me that I have a family who feels strongly that the path I'm on is going to make a difference in the world," said former scholarship recipient Ta Neil Adams. The business chamber that governs the scholarship program acknowledges the bigger picture achieved by supporting students with their higher education pursuits. "Our members appreciate the vision our founders had regarding the importance of supporting a legacy of future leaders," GSBA Executive Director Louise Chernin said. "If the world is going to change for the better, we need to have leaders who reflect the breadth of diversity of the people who live in it." PROGRAM BACKGROUND In 2005 GSBA and The Pride Foundation, in joint partnership, exceeded the $1 million mark in scholarship grants awarded to LGBT and allied students. These awards recognize leadership and academic merit, along with the ability to overcome the additional obstacles many LGBT students face in their educational pursuits. Together the two organizations have bolstered support from the local community to build and sustain the nation's longest-running LGBT scholarship program. More than 600 students have received scholarships from the two organizations since the program began. GSBA founded its scholarship program in 1990, and the Pride Foundation joined in partnership shortly thereafter. GSBA is the largest LGBT and allied business chamber in the country and the second largest business chamber in Washington State. The Pride Foundation is one of the nation's largest LGBT community foundations. For more information, visit www.thegsba.org or www.pridefoundation.org. |
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