National Guard Youth Foundation Announces Scholarship Recipients

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Graduates to Use the Funds Toward College, Trade and Vocational Schools

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Guard Youth Foundation (NGYF) today announced the winners of the NGYF fall scholarship competition. The awards include $3,000 scholarships renewable for up to two years or $5,000 scholarships renewable for up to four years.

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"We are honored to work with the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program to offer additional support to the graduates and assist them as they can continue their path of success," said Lou Cabrera, President of the National Guard Youth Foundation. "I congratulate the recipients of the scholarship competition who have demonstrated remarkable determination to turn their lives around through ChalleNGe and am grateful for our supporters and partners who make these scholarships possible."

$3,000, two-year scholarship winners:

• Nicholas Johnson – Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy in Kingwood, W.Va.
• Tyler Livingstone - Wisconsin Youth ChalleNGe Academy in Fort McCoy, Wis. 
• Micah Sisson – Oregon Youth ChalleNGe Program in Bend, Ore.
• John Alan Sutton - Thunderbird Youth Academy in Pryor, Okla.

$5,000, four-year scholarship winners:

• Jacob Evans - Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy in Salemburg, N.C.
• Josue Morataya - Thunderbird Youth Academy in Pryor, Okla.
• Yvette Ramierez – Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy in Rantoul, Ill. 
• Canedra Whaff - Commonwealth ChalleNGe Academy in Virginia Beach, Va.
• Zipporah Williamson – Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton, Wash.

Conducted at 35 academies across the country, the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program is operated in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense, National Guard Bureau, state governments and local sites. The program consists of a 5 1/2-month residential phase framed around eight core components: academic excellence, responsible citizenship, physical fitness, leadership/followership, job skills, service to the community, health and hygiene and life coping skills and, as importantly, a 12-month post residential phase that matches a mentor to each graduate.

Helping more than 115,000 teens to date turn their lives around, ChalleNGe, in its 20th year of operation, is recognized as among the most cost-effective, highly rated programs of its kind for at-risk youth.

• An independent, multi-year study of the program by MDRC shows that high school diploma/ GED attainment increased by 29%; college attendance increased by 86% and annual earnings increased by 20%.
• An independent cost-benefit analysis by the RAND Corporation shows a 166% return on investment in the program – every dollar spent yielded a return of $2.66 in benefits to society.

NGYF awards two- and four-year scholarships to graduates of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program to contribute to tuition and tuition-related expenses for colleges, vocational and trade schools. Last year, NGYF awarded $491,000 in tuition assistance to ChalleNGe graduates. The next scholarship competition will be held in the spring.

About the National Guard Youth Foundation
The National Guard Youth Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to addressing the nation's school dropout crisis by giving youth a second chance through the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, which provides education, mentorship and life skills to its participants and has been independently rated one of the nation's most cost-effective and successful programs for youth at risk of, or have dropped out of school.  The Foundation advocates for and supports ChalleNGe, run by the National Guard; raises awareness of the impact that the school dropout crisis has on our society, economy and national security; and provides ChalleNGe graduates with scholarships and career support to help them continue on their path of success. For more information, visit www.ngyf.org.

SOURCE National Guard Youth Foundation