As the school year draws to a close, Health Plus/ NY1 scholar athletes were honored at a special reception Tuesday night at the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle.
"You've got kids from all five boroughs coming together from different walks of life who have achieved greatness in the schools, on the athletic fields, and in their communities," said NY1 Executive Sports Producer Marc Weingarten. "It's just a great testament to the education system here in New York City."
Each school year, NY1, together with Health Plus, honors 30 high school seniors, many who celebrated Tuesday at the ninth annual Scholar Athlete Reception. They each receive a $2,000 college scholarship.
"What you have here is success stories; 30 kids that have proven themselves going through high school," said Health Plus Executive Director Tom Early. "People should hear their stories."
Fidelis Idoko, 18, is headed to City College this fall and plans to study chemical engineering. The John Bowne High School student from Queens is captain of his tennis and soccer team. He volunteers at his church and at a local hospital, and strives to meet high standards in the classroom.
"My parents, they asked me to set a really high failing average, a 95, and they also supported me both athletically and academically," said Idoko.
Another honoree was Hunter College High School student Sandra Fong, who holds a 97 average and is the captain of her swim team. She also runs track and is involved in riflery outside of school.
This fall, she plans to major in biological engineering at MIT, but there is much to look forward to this summer. Fong is going for the gold in Beijng this August as a member of the Unites States Olympic Riflery Team.
"I'm so excited," she said. "It really is just an accomplishment that it's hard to put in words. You've been working so hard for it."
A select few were chosen to receive additional scholarship money, including Janet Romero. The Bushwick High School senior overcame family hardships while still being a leader in her school and community.
"It just feels great to be recognized and to set an example for other students," said Romero.
- Shazia Khan
June 04, 2008
Student Athletes Recognized At Annual Dinner
Access Our Archives See all the Scholar/Athlete profiles for this past academic year in our Scholar/Athlete archives.
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