Comcast Awards $66,000 In Scholarships To Virginia High School Seniors

RICHMOND, Va., May 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Comcast Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide charitable support to its local communities and to empower and enrich lives, is awarding 57 Virginia high school seniors scholarships 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 Virginia Secretary of Education Laura Fornash and other officials, recognized the students at a special event held yesterday at the State Capitol in Richmond.  Fifty-six of the 2013 Virginia Leaders and Achievers recipients received $1,000 scholarships. In addition, Alseny Diawara of Wakefield High School in Arlington 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 $66,000 awarded this year to Virginia high school seniors.  After a prize drawing, two students were also given iPads to use at college.

"I thank Comcast for its commitment to helping students across the Commonwealth to succeed in the classroom and prepare for the future," said Fornash. "These students should be very proud of their accomplishments."

"Comcast is dedicated to providing opportunities for young people to build the skills needed to excel in a highly competitive, technology-driven workforce," said Tom Coughlin, regional senior vice president for Comcast. "We are pleased to recognize these students for their achievements, and commend them for the leadership role they play in their schools and communities."

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 the value placed on civic involvement by the business community.

Since the program's inception, more than $17.7 million in scholarship money has been presented to more than 17,000 scholarship winners nationwide.

2013 Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Winners from Virginia
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS (by County or Independent City where the high school is located):

Albemarle County
Brandie Quarles of Western Albemarle High School

Alexandria
Mehma Chugani of T.C. Williams High School
Bridget Thompson of St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

Arlington
Ford Avery of Washington-Lee High School
Alseny Diawara of Wakefield High School
Jennifer Frey of H-B Woodlawn High School
Osmar Trejo of Arlington Mill High School Continuation Program

Campbell County
Jessica Wilson of Brookville High School

Caroline County
Jazmine Shaw of Caroline High School

Charles City County
Kayla Otey of Charles City High School

Charlottesville
Jamar Pierre-Louis of Charlottesville High School

Chesterfield County
Scott Campolongo of Monacan High School
Danielle Ebelle of Meadowbrook High School
Brent Frost of Matoaca High School
Skye Hagood of Thomas Dale High School
Jordan Holland of Holland Home School
Ebonee Valdiri of Lloyd C. Bird High School

Colonial Heights
Thompson Rowe of Colonial Heights High School

Danville
Deana Forbes of George Washington High School
Cecilia Yeager of Galileo Magnet High School

Dinwiddie County
Cassandra Casas of Dinwiddie High School

Greensville County
Amber Ellis of Greensville County High School

Henrico County
Selmira Avdic of Douglas S. Freeman High School
Caitlin Daughtry of Mills E. Godwin High School
Ashley Edwards of Hermitage High School
Chanel James of Highland Springs High School
Jessica Lee of J.R. Tucker High School
Despina Mason of Varina High School
Joseph Edward Real of Henrico High School

Loudoun County
Erin Donavan of Stone Bridge High School
Jeffrey Hemby of Woodgrove High School
Amani Kirk of Potomac Falls High School
McKinna Pace of Briar Woods High School
Karol Rodriguez of Broad Run High School

Madison County
Alexis Smith of Madison County High School

Manassas Park
Paula-Bianca Cruz of Manassas Park High School

Montgomery County
Jessica Vance of Blacksburg High School

Petersburg
Quanesha Knight of Petersburg High School

Prince George County
Justice Evans of Prince George High School

Prince William County
Sarai Arbus of Battlefield High School
Andrew Miller of Stonewall Jackson High School
Oluwatoni Ojomo of Potomac High School
Olivia Smith of Osbourn High School

Richmond
Chloe Burch of Thomas Jefferson High School
Logan Harris of St. Catherine's School
Anna Jackson of Saint Gertrude High School
Aleisha Jones of Armstrong High School
James McVey of St. Christopher's School
Chyann Mealy of Franklin Military Academy
David Wilson of Grove Avenue Baptist Christian School
John Ziegler of Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies 

Salem
Kristin Calilung of Salem High School

Smyth County
Joshua Dolinger of Chilhowie High School

Spotsylvania County
Emilie Hill of Massaponax High School
McKenzie Livesay of Riverbend High School

Sussex County
Edward Artis of Sussex Central High School

Winchester
Rebecca Ramdass of John Handley High School

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal.  Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses.  NBCUniversal operates 30 news and entertainment 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.

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 has three community investment priorities—promoting service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $123 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