Comcast Awards $92,000 in Scholarships to New Jersey High School Seniors

Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program Recognizes New Jersey Students for their Academic Achievement and Community Service

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May 13, 2010, 11:29 ET

TRENTON, N.J., May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Comcast Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide charitable support to its local communities and to empower and enrich lives, is awarding $1,000 scholarships to 82 New Jersey high school seniors 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.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100513/PH04455 )

Charisse R. Lillie, vice president of Community Investment of Comcast Corporation and executive vice president of the Comcast Foundation, and Bill Kettleson, regional vice president of government and community affairs for Comcast, were joined by New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt, who Chairs the Assembly's Committee on Higher Education, in recognizing the students at a special event held at the Trenton War Memorial on Wednesday.

Comcast also awarded Galyna Bartkiv of Dr. Ronald McNair Academic High School in Jersey City and Robby Rodriguez of Mainland Regional High School in Linwood additional $5,000 Comcast Founder's Scholarships, instituted in honor of Ralph J. Roberts, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Comcast Corporation. After a prize drawing, 10 students were also given a Netbook computer to use at college.

"New Jersey has always remained focused on preparing our students for the future, and ensuring access to a quality education," said Lt. Governor Guadagno. "I applaud Comcast for investing in our youth and for sharing in our commitment to help students across the state achieve their full potential."

"I am pleased to join Comcast in celebrating the achievements of these students, who have shown such dedication to their education and to their communities across New Jersey," said Assemblywoman Lampitt. "Scholarship programs, such as Comcast's Leader's and Achievers program, help them to continue strengthening our communities and workforce through their pursuit of higher education."

"We're thrilled to award scholarships to the best and brightest high school seniors in the communities we serve," said Lillie. "Comcast is proud to play a role in the development of our nation's future leaders and we hope these scholarships will help power their dreams along the way."

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 be prepared for the future, to engage youth in their communities, and to demonstrate the importance of civic involvement and its value to the business community.

Each year, Comcast works with high school principals, guidance counselors and school administrators to select the scholarship recipients. Since the program's inception there have been more than 13,300 scholarship winners totaling more than $13.4 million.

About the Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation's focus areas are expanding digital literacy, building tomorrow's leaders and promoting community service. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $77 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/inthecommunity.

About Comcast

Comcast Corporation (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 23.5 million cable customers, 16.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 7.9 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's Eastern Division serves approximately 5.7 million residential and business customers across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. The Eastern Division is based in Oaks, Pennsylvania and employs more than 20,000 people.

2010 Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Winners from New Jersey

(82 New Jersey high school seniors - each student receives a $1,000 grant)

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS: (by county and then by city where high school is located)

Atlantic County

Atlantic City - ALEXANDRA SHUSTER of Atlantic City High School
Buena - VANESSA COWARD of Buena Regional High School
Galloway Township - FRANCES PAK of Absegami High School
Linwood - ROBBY RODRIGUEZ of Mainland Regional High School
Pleasantville - ANTHONY JOHNSON of Pleasantville High School
Richland - MICHAEL CASTELLI of St Augustine Preparatory School

Bergen County

Wallington - MARTYNA JEZEWSKA of Wallington Jr/Sr High School

Burlington County

Burlington - GERALD GARES of Burlington City High School
Burlington – KEISHA MULLINGS of Burlington Township High School
Cinnaminson - MELISSA JONES of Cinnaminson High School
Columbus – ASHLEY KENDALL of Northern Burlington County Regional High School
Florence - AMINAH OLAJIDE of Florence Township Memorial High School
Medford - MARK MASSARO of Shawnee High School
Mount Holly - SANDINA SAINTELIEN of Burlington County Institute Of Technology
Mount Holly - TERRELL WHITE of Rancocas Valley Regional High School
Palmyra - GINA BLACK of Palmyra High School
Riverside - CAITLIN CISEK of Riverside High School

Camden County

Blackwood - MINHAJUL AZAD of Highland Regional High School
Camden - ASHLEY ZEIGLER of Camden Academy Charter High School
Cherry Hill - MICHAEL BELMONTE of Cherry Hill High School West
Cherry Hill - JAMES BLOSS of Camden Catholic High School
Cherry Hill - JUNGWON BYUN of Cherry Hill High School East
Collingswood - MICHAEL MEDINA of Collingswood High School
Erial - DOMINIQUE CLARKE of Timber Creek Regional High School
Gloucester City - ALYSSA COOPER of Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School
Lindenwold - SINDY BONILLA of Lindenwold High School
Pine Hill - JASMINE CRUZ of Overbrook Regional Senior High School
Voorhees - NAMIR SHAH of Eastern Senior High School

Cape May County

Cape May - JASON OSMAN of Lower Cape May Regional High School
Wildwood - LAUREN IRWIN of Wildwood High School

Cumberland County

Bridgeton - KELSEY BRANCH of Bridgeton High School

Essex County

Caldwell - ELISABETH LEMBO of Mount Saint Dominic Academy
Livingston - JACOB POZNAK of Livingston High School
Maplewood – QUINCY WALKER of Columbia High School
West Caldwell - PRISCILA ABRAHAM of James Caldwell High School
West Orange - CATHERINE KU of West Orange High School

Gloucester County

Clayton - SAMANTHA NOWAK of Clayton High School
Franklinville - KATHRYN ZECK of Delsea Regional High School
Pitman - KATHERINE GODFREY of Pitman High School
Sewell - CYLE HANKER of Gloucester County Institute Of Technology
Williamstown - AMANDA MONTI of Williamstown High School
Woodbury - ASHLEIGH POLLITT of Woodbury Senior High School
Woodbury Heights - SAMANTHA WILLIAMS of Gateway Regional High School

Hudson County

Harrison – SHANNON GALLAGHER of Harrison High School
Jersey City – SALLY AWAD of William L. Dickinson High School
Jersey City – GALYNA BARTKIV of Dr. Ronald McNair Academic High School
Jersey City – AYELE KOUEVIDJIN of Liberty High School

Hunterdon County

Annandale – ETHAN WHITE of North Hunterdon High School
Glen Gardner – MEGAN PARTRIDGE of Voorhees High School
Stockton – OLIVIA HAGERTY who resides in Stockton and attends Solebury School in New Hope PA

Mercer County

Ewing – MIATA ROGERS of Ewing High School
Pennington – KAREN RYFINSKI of Mcvs Sypek Center VS
Princeton Junction – RONAK GANDHI of West Windsor/Plainsboro High School South
Trenton – STEPHANIE GROVER of Mcvs Assunpink Center VS

Middlesex County

Carteret – BARBARA BUSCH of Carteret High School
East Brunswick – TIMOTHY O'SULLIVAN of East Brunswick High School
Iselin – KEVIN DIAS of JFK Memorial High School
Monmouth Junction – AMY ONDREJACK of South Brunswick High School
Plainsboro – EMILY SCHUIT of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School

Monmouth County

Lincroft – CHRISTOPHER CALI of Christian Brothers Academy
Lincroft – ERIKA RECH of High Technology High School
Long Branch – MARYSSA BEALE of Long Branch High School
Rumson – STEPHEN BIGA of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
Tinton Falls – FARRAH ALKHALEEL of Monmouth Regional High School

Morris County

Chatham – KAREN REN of Chatham High School

Ocean County

Brick – MARISSA CUSANELLI of Brick Township Memorial High School
Brick – MATTHEW ESSINGTON of Brick Township High School
Lanoka Harbor – ALEXANDER MANOSKI of Lacey Township High School
Manchester – MATTHEW LAYTON of Manchester Township High School
Point Pleasant – EMILY SANTO-DONATO of Point Pleasant Boro High School
Toms River – ANDREW CHOFLET of Toms River High School East
Toms River – ALEXANDRA WILLIAMS of Toms River High School South

Salem County

Pennsville – KRISTIN WEIGEL of Pennsville Memorial High School

Union County

Clark – KEVIN WALSH of Arthur L. Johnson Regional High School
Linden – ELIZABETH CHRISTIANI of Linden High School
Rahway – KAROLLINE COSTA of Rahway High School
Scotch Plains – MEGAN FURLONG of Union Catholic Regional High School
Scotch Plains – CHRISTOPHER SMITH of Scotch Plains Fanwood High School
Springfield – ROSS FISH of Jonathan Dayton Regional High School
Summit – BREA GROSCH of Summit High School

Warren County

Hackettstown – ASHLEY HAHN of Hackettstown High School
Washington – CORINNE IACOBUCCI of Warren Hills Regional High School