Protiviti Awards College Scholarships to Two Chicago Students From Ace Tech Charter High School

CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago office of Protiviti, a global consulting firm, has awarded two local students with renewable $5,000 college scholarships. The scholarships were funded thanks to employee contributions through Protiviti's CommUnity Scholarship Program.

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Ruben Estrada and Alyssa Ford, both recent graduates of Ace Tech Charter High School, were selected based on grade point average (GPA), school activities and community/civic involvement. As part of the selection process, Estrada and Ford also participated in interviews with Protiviti employees where both students demonstrated their passion, initiative and communication skills.

"During the selection process, we met with some tremendously bright and motivated students. However, Reuben and Alyssa truly stood out during their respective interviews," said Sharon Lindstrom, a managing director in Protiviti's Chicago office who oversees the scholarship program. "We are proud to forge a long-term relationship with Reuben and Alyssa and support them as they work toward their educational and career goals."

Reuben Estrada moved to the United States in the sixth grade, quickly mastered English, and graduated from Ace Tech with a 4.0 GPA. In addition to his honor roll status and membership in Ace Tech's robotics and chess teams, Estrada attended a college-level class in physiology at Northwestern University through its College Bridge Program during the summer of 2011. This month, he entered the Illinois Institute of Technology as a computer engineering major. 

Alyssa Ford graduated from Ace Tech as an honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society. In addition to her experiences working at Catholic Charities and the South Side YMCA during high school summers, she served as an engineering intern at Rush Medical Center in the summer of 2011. Developing an interest in medicine, Ford continued to work at Rush throughout her senior year of high school and has now begun pursuing a major in nursing at Bradley University. 

Through the CommUnity Scholarship Program, Protiviti selects two new scholarship recipients each year, providing both financial support and encouragement to Chicago public school students. Scholarships are renewable on an annual basis as long as minimum GPA requirements are met. Including Estrada and Ford, Protiviti now supports a total of eight scholars on campuses across the United States. Another six students have graduated with college degrees through the program.

"By renewing the scholarships over the course of the students' undergraduate studies, we try to personally connect our employees' donations to a positive impact on the students' lives," Lindstrom said. "One of the reasons this program has been successful is because our employees get to know these students and take a real interest in their futures."

Launched in April 2005, Protiviti's CommUnity Scholarship Program supports economically challenged Chicago students who have the spirit and aptitude to achieve their goal of attending college. Candidates are selected with the help of the Chicago-based nonprofit organization Umoja Student Development, and the scholarships are funded entirely by donations from Protiviti's Chicago-area employees.

About Protiviti

Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that helps companies solve problems in finance, technology, operations, governance, risk and internal audit. Through its network of more than 70 offices in over 20 countries, Protiviti has served more than 35 percent of FORTUNE^® 1000 and Global 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies.

Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half International is a member of the S&P 500 index.

Protiviti is not licensed or registered as a public accounting firm and does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services.

SOURCE Protiviti