Bentley University and City Year Announce 2010-2011 "give a year" Scholarship Winners

Five Students Chosen as Bentley National Service Scholars Receive $20,000 Scholarship and Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

WALTHAM, Mass., March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bentley University, a leader in business education, and City Year, a leading nationwide youth service organization, recently announced the 2010-2011 "give a year" scholarship winners. Five Bentley students who are dedicated to both academic excellence and national service have been named Bentley National Service Scholars and will receive a $20,000 scholarship and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Each is completing a year of full-time community service through City Year at various locations throughout the U.S.

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Bentley University and City Year joined forces in 2008 to launch the "give a year" program, a first of its kind partnership encouraging students to give a year of full-time service through City Year and receive scholarship support to Bentley and subsequent internship opportunities. The program is offered through the Bentley Service-Learning Center. The Bentley University/City Year model is now followed by 29 colleges and universities across the nation.

The scholars for the academic year 2010-2011 include:

Brian LeBlanc

• Bentley Class of 2013, Accounting major
• Year of Service 2010-2011 with City Year Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia public schools

Max Rogers

• Bentley Class of 2014, Undeclared major
• Year of Service 2010-2011 with City Year Boston, Boston public schools
• Committed two years prior to his enrollment at Bentley

Marc Schleif

• Bentley Class of 2013, Marketing and Computer Information Systems major
• Year of Service 2010-2011 with City Year Los Angeles, Los Angeles public schools

Kaylyn Frazier

• Bentley Class of 2010, Corporate Finance and Accounting major
• Year of Service 2010-2011 with City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley, San Jose public schools
• Graduate student at McCallum Graduate School of Business Fall 2011

Kiernan Patenaude

• Bentley Class of 2010, Management major
• Year of Service 2010-2011 with City Year Seattle/King County, Seattle public schools
• Graduate student at McCallum Graduate School of Business Fall 2011

Patenaude says she was inspired to join the program after co-founding an afterschool drama workshop at the Fitzgerald Elementary School in Waltham as part of her service-learning experience while an undergraduate student at Bentley, "I discovered how much you can impact children by providing the extra time and attention they need to develop into confident individuals. My main goal is to instill confidence and self-esteem, and help students aspire toward a college degree."

Last year, two Bentley Scholars completed their service years: MBA candidate Tara Meehan worked in Miami, Florida public schools and Bentley senior Jenna Nakamura worked in public schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The new five Bentley National Service Scholars join the team of City Year corps members working in locations across the United States and in South Africa and London who change the world each day by helping keep students on track to graduation and turn around high-need schools. Each corps member also receives a monthly stipend, health insurance and other standard City Year benefits.

The criterion for selection for the scholarship requires that each student is first accepted by City Year as a corps member. A Bentley committee then reviews each student's prior record of service, academic record, letters of recommendation and materials submitted with their City Year application.  Interested students apply for admission to both Bentley University and City Year. Bentley students can apply prior to the beginning of their fulltime undergraduate or graduate enrollment and, if chosen, can perform their year of service any time prior to their final year. City Year corps members can apply for a "give a year" scholarship concurrently with their application to Bentley, either for the undergraduate or graduate degree programs.

For more information on the program, please go to http://www.bentley.edu/giveayear/index.cfm.

The Bentley Service-Learning Center promotes academic learning through community service. The Center believes that community involvement outside of the classroom contributes significantly to what students learn within class, and helps students develop into socially responsible professionals. Service-Learning at Bentley also benefits our community partners, serving human needs in Waltham and the wider Boston community.

City Year unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service, giving them the skills and opportunities to change the world. As tutors, mentors and role models, these diverse young leaders help children stay in school and on track, and transform schools and communities across the United States, as well as through international affiliates in Johannesburg, South Africa and London, England.

SOURCE Bentley University