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6th Annual Loudoun County Beat the Odds Scholarship Awards
Ceremony!
On May 27, 2010, the Loudoun Chapter of the Beat the Odds®
held the 6th annual Loudoun County Beat the Odds®
Scholarship Awards Ceremony at the Old Courthouse in downtown
Leesburg. Five local youth were awarded scholarship money
totaling $8,000.00 to assist them reaching their college
education goals. All
five students are graduating seniors.
The ceremony opened with an introduction by Matthew Snow,
local attorney and member of the Loudoun Beat the Odds Committee,
who provided the audience with background on the Beat the Odds
program in Loudoun. He then introduced the key note
speaker for the event, the Hon. Pamela L. Brooks, Judge
of the Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, who
spoke to the students and their families
about the significant challenges she faced in her own life,
her time in foster care as a child, and her ultimate personal
and professional successes in spite of the significant
obstacles in her life.
For the awards presentation, a nominator from each student's
school/life was given the opportunity to introduce each awardee
and speak to the audience about the amazing qualities of each
of their students. Each student was then asked to share part of
their own story of what they have overcome. Those in attendance
this year heard the students describe their inspiring battles to
overcome hardships such as extreme poverty, homelessness, drug
addicted family members, physical and sexual abuse, or removal from their
families, while also maintaining strong academics and
contributing to their families or local community.
- 2010 "Beat the Odds" Award Winner:
Brenda Fuentes, Park View High School (Attending
George Mason University) - $5,000 grant
- 2010 Special Merit Award Winner:
Farah Shah, Park View High School (attending
University of Virginia) - $1,500 grant
- 2010 Merit Award Winners:
Christina Mathers, Park View High School (attending NOVA) - $500 grant
Telharsha "K't" McNair, Dominion High School (attending
Georgia State University) - $500 grant
August Santillo,
Jr., Briar Woods High School (attending Notre Dame
University) - $500 grant
Read the inspiring news articles about our past Loudoun Beat
the Odds Scholarship winners:
2010 Articles:
2009 Articles/Video:
- "Students
Recognized for Overcoming Challenges," Leesburg Today,
May 29, 2009
- "Beat
the Odds," Loudoun Independent,
June 3, 2009
- "Purcellville
Graduate Overcomes Adversity," Loudoun Times-Mirror,
June 25, 2009
- VIDEO: Clip of
James Thrash's remarks to the students at 2009 Awards
Ceremony. Courtesy: Leesburg2day.com, June 2009
- VIDEO: NBC 4 news
story: "Men
on a Mission Program Helps Dominion High Student Beat the
Odds," NBCWashington.com, June 2009
- VIDEO: NBC 4 news
story: "Father's
Death Fuels Dominion Senior's Desire to Achieve,"
NBCWashington.com, June 2009
2008 Article:
2007 Articles:
2005 Article:
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