Sallie Mae to Award Five Deserving High School Students $25,000 for College
Company Officially Renews the Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program; School Counselors and
Community Leaders Can Nominate Students Now Through Sept. 7
Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company, today announced it will award five $25,000 college
scholarships to deserving high school students as part of the second annual Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program. Beginning now through Sept. 7, school counselors and community
organization leaders can nominate high school juniors and seniors who exemplify excellence inside or outside the classroom.
High school counselors and community organization leaders are encouraged to nominate inspiring high school juniors and seniors
who have excelled in academics, athletics, community service, or school activities, but whose financial circumstances may not
permit them to pursue a college education. The application requires nominators to submit two detailed descriptions highlighting the
nominee’s personal and academic achievements and any major life challenges they have faced.
“The Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program represents the true embodiment of our mission — to help make the dream of college a
reality for students and their families,” said Charlie Rocha, executive vice president, Sallie Mae. “We’re looking forward to
recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of another extraordinary group of students from communities across the nation this
year!”
Last year’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program recipients, Bryana Blanco of Pembroke Pines, Florida, Kendal Cooney of
Camden, Michigan, Quinton Lopez of Canoga Park, California, and Kayla Pinzur of Brewster, New York, had their futures transformed
after they each received $25,000 from Sallie Mae.
Lopez, Pinzur, and Blanco each completed their freshman year in spring 2017, and all three proudly earned 4.0 GPAs. Lopez is
currently attending California State University and plans to pursue a degree in medicine. Pinzur attends Northeastern University
and is pursuing a degree in physical therapy, while Blanco is enrolled in the nursing program at the University of South Florida.
Cooney will attend college this fall and is planning to study nursing.
“Once I earn my nursing degree, I will be trained to help patients in need, but — aside from my work in the medical field — I
also hope to encourage and empower others to see that they can overcome any challenge,” said scholarship recipient Bryana Blanco.
“I am eternally grateful to my high school counselor for taking the time to nominate me for Sallie Mae’s Bridging the Dream
Scholarship; it’s literally changed my life!”
For more information on the Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program or to nominate a deserving student, visit SallieMae.com/bridging-the-dream. See official rules. No purchase necessary. Ends Sept. 7, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, or when 1,000 eligible entries are
received. Void where prohibited by law.
To learn more about saving, planning, and paying for college, including Sallie Mae’s free Scholarship Search tool, visit SallieMae.com.
Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way
off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education
loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or
agencies of the United States of America.
Sallie Mae
Beth K. Toll, 302-451-4985
Bethany.Toll@SallieMae.com
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