Comcast Awards $68,000 In Scholarships To 59 Virginia High School Seniors

RICHMOND, Va., May 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Comcast Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide charitable support to its local communities and to empower and enrich lives, has awarded scholarships to 59 Virginia high school seniors through its annual Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program. The program, one of the Comcast Foundation's signature community investment initiatives, recognizes students' leadership skills, academic achievement and commitment to community service.

Comcast, joined by Attorney General of Virginia Mark Herring, recognized the students at a special event held Thursday at the Virginia State Capitol. Fifty-eight of the 2014 Virginia Leaders and Achievers recipients received $1,000 scholarships. Keonna Knight, a senior at Richmond Community High School, was awarded a $10,000 Comcast Founders Scholarship – instituted in honor of Ralph J. Roberts, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Comcast Corporation – for a total of $68,000 awarded this year to Virginia high school students. After a prize drawing, two students were also given iPads to use at college.

"Each of these deserving students earned their scholarship by displaying a strong commitment to both the classroom and their community," said Attorney General Herring. "Higher education can open doors of economic opportunity and keeps our Commonwealth competitive in a global economy. With the support of their community, including partners like Comcast, these young people's dreams can become a reality."

"In today's high-tech businesses, advanced education and training are more important than ever," added Donna Rattley Washington, Comcast's regional vice president of government and community affairs. "Comcast is dedicated to helping students succeed so they can go on to deliver the next great innovation. We applaud this year's outstanding scholarship winners and are excited to see them take the next step in their academic journeys."

The Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program provides $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 civic involvement, and the value placed on civic involvement by the business community.

To date, Comcast has awarded more than $21.6 million to nearly 21,000 Leaders and Achievers Scholarship winners.

2014 Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Recipients from Virginia

Alexandria
Carter Holland of St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School 
Ciana Jones of T.C. Williams High School

Arlington
Leyla Izquierdo of Wakefield High School 
Tyler Laredo of Washington-Lee High School

Campbell County
Emily Taylor of AltaVista Combined School in Altavista

Charlottesville
Vail Prior of Charlottesville High School

Chesterfield County
Teyona Baker of Chesterfield Community High School in Chester
Leohana Carrera of L.C. Bird High School 
Jordan Drummonds of Manchester High School in Midlothian 
John Fuller of Cosby High School in Midlothian 
Jessica Hicks of Matoaca High School 
Carter McCants of Clover Hill High School in Midlothian 
Erik Membreno of Meadowbrook High School 
Hannah Owens of Thomas Dale High School in Chester
Charlotte Rowe of Monacan High School 
Gregory Winder of James River High School in Midlothian 

Emporia
Janae Adams of Greensville County High School

Fairfax County
Kacey Hirshfeld of South Lakes High School in Reston

Fauquier County
Anelle Mensah of Liberty High School in Bealeton

Henrico County
Amanda Bard of Hermitage High School
Desmond Dowling of Varina High School 
Elizabeth Martin of John Randolph Tucker High School 
Victoria McNiff of Douglas S. Freeman High School 
Collin Papenfuss of Mills E. Godwin High School
Isabelle Stern of Henrico High School
Daya Tucker of Highland Springs High School

Henry County
Candi Lopez of Bassett High School

Loudoun County
Erin Bradley of Park View High School in Sterling
Bryan Castillo of Broad Run High School in Ashburn
Juan Marin of Potomac Falls High School in Potomac Falls
Taylor Newman of Dominion High School in Sterling
Andrea Reategui of Briar Woods High School in Ashburn
Kamran Waterman of Freedom High School in South Riding

Lynchburg
Cynthia Beasley of E.C. Glass High School 
Alexa Luna of Brookville High School

Manassas
Taylor Campbell of Stonewall Jackson High School
Ami Patel of Osbourn Park High School

Manassas Park
Kalman Weinstein of Manassas Park High School

Montgomery County
Naomi Orndorff of Blacksburg High School

Petersburg
Erika Jaimes of Appomattox Regional Governor's School 
Meaghon Omobude of Petersburg Public High School

Pittsylvania County
Ashlea Davis of Gretna High School

Prince George County
Kevin Holt of Prince George High School

Prince William County
Humberto Zarco of Potomac Senior High School in Dumfries

Richmond
Mercedes Hanks of John Marshall High School 
Megan Helbling of St. Gertrude High School 
Leslie Johnson of Thomas Jefferson High School
Keonna Knight of Richmond Community High School 
Charmeya McMurray of Franklin Military Academy 
Samuel Moffatt of St. Christopher's School 
Bradley Simmons of Huguenot High School 
Yash Tekriwal of Maggie L. Walker Governor's School 
Kathryn Threatt of St. Catherines School

Spotsylvania County
Brittany Bolick of Chancellor High School in Fredericksburg 
Greer Kane of Massaponax High School in Fredericksburg 
Griffin Mahon of Courtland High School

Sussex County
Felicia Miller of Sussex Central High School

Waynesboro
Laney Janes of Waynesboro High School

Winchester
Lauren Campbell of Millbrook High School

Connect with the scholarship winners at www.facebook.com/ComcastLeadersandAchievers. Explore and "like" Comcast in the community at www.facebook.com/WePowerDreams. 

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 community service and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated nearly $140 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. 

SOURCE Comcast Cable