FPWA Awards Over $20K in College Scholarships to Students Across New York City

 

(New York, NY) – On Monday, August 19, FPWA presented 12 college students from across New York City with a $2,000 scholarship at FPWA’s annual College Scholarship awards breakfast. The event, which was held at FPWA’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan, honors junior and senior-year college students who demonstrate financial need and have academically excelled despite significant personal adversity.

“Almost all of us in this room talked about facing and overcoming poverty,” said FPWA Director of Programs Aleciah Anthony. “We heard from single parents, from individuals who lost their parents, from individuals who lived in foster care. Those circumstances do not come to you in isolation. We should feel united, not only in our adversity, but how we overcome those adversities. What’s more important is that you own the challenges and experiences that have led you here. We should not look at those experiences in shame or guilt because those experiences will shape, not only who you are, but who you are to become.”

All the award recipients demonstrate sheer determination to advance their education. Many of the students selected for the scholarship are paying for college with loans and financial resources independent of their parent(s), some grew up in the foster care system, others are juggling school and work as new mothers and fathers. They have become leaders in their communities. Their areas of study range from Political Science, Economics, and Environmental Science to Film & TV Production, Coastal Environmental Studies, and Human Biology. 

“Access to higher education is one of the key pathways to economic equity,” said Chief Program and Policy Officer Emily Miles. “Everyone should have access to the same opportunities that anyone in the world does. In this room, we have future social workers, engineers, pharmacists, scientists, and leaders. It’s important to note that nobody ever makes it on their own. We make it because of the support of our families, of our communities, and of the organizations and programs that we are a part of. At FPWA, we are proud to be joining the community supporting our college scholarship recipients.”

FPWA has awarded scholarships to New York’s college juniors and seniors experiencing challenging circumstances for more than 30 years. Upperclassmen often have fewer opportunities for scholarships than freshman and sophomore students despite their significant need. Students were recommended for the scholarship by FPWA’s network of community-based member agencies. This year’s scholarship awards will help contribute to tuition, books, healthcare coverage, and studying abroad.

Students who received the awards attend the following colleges: Albright College, Baruch College, CUNY Lehman College, Long Island University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mercy College, New York University, SUNY Albany, SUNY University at Buffalo, Queens College CUNY, University of Virginia and Stony Brook University. 

The FPWA college scholarships are funded by the The New York Times Neediest Cases.

 

Source: Mercury