Comcast Awards $29,000 In Scholarships To Vermont High School Seniors

MONTPELIER, Vt., March 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Comcast Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide charitable support to its local communities and to empower and enrich lives, has awarded twenty Vermont high school seniors scholarships through its annual Leaders and Achievers^® Scholarship Program.  The program, one of the Comcast Foundation's signature community investment programs, recognizes students' leadership skills, academic achievement and commitment to community service.

Comcast, joined by Shap Smith, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, as well as Jim Porter, Director of Telecommunications and Connectivity at the Vermont Department of Public Service and Christopher Recchia, Commissioner of the Vermont Public Service Department, recognized the students at a special event held at the Vermont State House today.  The twenty recipients each received $1,000 scholarships. One student, Samantha Morse, a resident of Bomoseen and student at Fair Haven Union High School, was selected to receive an additional $9,000 Comcast Founders Scholarship - instituted in honor of Ralph J. Roberts, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Comcast Corporation. In total, Comcast awarded $29,000 worth of scholarships in Vermont this year.

"In Vermont, we believe in preparing our students and making sure they have the qualifications to fill tomorrow's jobs," said Governor Peter Shumlin.  "We're making the investments in our future that will allow us to lead the way for decades to come and we appreciate that Comcast shares our commitment to developing our future leaders and helping them achieve their dreams of higher education."

The Comcast Leaders and Achievers^® Scholarship Program provides one-time $1,000 scholarships to students who strive to achieve their potential, who are catalysts for positive change in their communities, who are involved in their schools, and who serve as models for their fellow students.  The philosophy behind the program is to give young people every opportunity to prepare for the future and to engage them in their communities. The program also demonstrates the importance of giving back, and the value placed on civic involvement by the business community.

"This year's scholarship winners demonstrate an exemplary commitment to leadership in both their classrooms and communities," said Michael Parker, senior vice president of Comcast's Western New England Region, which includes Vermont.  "We are proud to recognize their achievements and are excited to support them as they continue their educational journeys."

Since 2007, Comcast has awarded a total of $178,000 in Leaders & Achievers Scholarships to 133 students in Vermont.  Since 2000, Comcast has awarded more than $25 million in scholarships to approximately 25,000 students nationwide. 

The 20 Vermont students receiving scholarships include:
Angela Biron, a resident of East Montpelier and student at U-32 High School in Montpelier
Calvin Brooks, a resident of Poultney and student at Poultney High School
Jacob Cunningham, a resident of Richford and student at Richford Junior/Senior High School
Courtney Currier, a resident of Proctor and student at Proctor Jr/Sr High School
Claire DiIonno, a resident of Wallingford and student at Mount St. Joseph Academy in Rutland
Karen Fan, a resident of Windsor and student at Windsor High School
Riley Forbes, a resident of Bristol and student at Mount Abraham UHSD #28
Jade Groelinger, a resident of Fairfax and student at Bellows Free Academy
Alexis Hedding, a resident of Brandon and student at Otter Valley Union High School
Kelsey Jacobs, a resident of Braintree and student at Randolph Technical Career Center in Randolph
Emily Lampron, a resident of Arlington and student at Arlington Memorial High School
Kelsey MacArt, a resident of Fairfax and student at South Burlington High School
Lydia May, a resident of West Rutland and student at West Rutland School
Lillianna Moore, a resident of Springfield and student at Springfield High School
Samantha Morse, a resident of Bomoseen and student at Fair Haven Union High School in Fair Haven
Cassandra North, a resident of White River Junction and student at Hartford High School
Oliver Sloan, a resident of Richmond and student at Mt. Mansfield Union High School in Jericho
Haley Usilton, a resident of South Royalton and student at Woodstock Sr. UHSD #4 in Woodstock
Kyle Walker, a resident of Colchester and student at Colchester High School
Ava Wright, a resident of Morrisville and student at Peoples Academy

The Comcast Leaders and Achievers^® Scholarship Program is one of the many ways that Comcast gives back to the communities we serve. Click here to learn more. 

About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified nonprofit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—expanding digital literacy, promoting service and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $170 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.

About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

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SOURCE Comcast Cable