This week, 35 high school seniors from the greater Philadelphia region were recognized at Firstrust Bank’s 49^th annual Samuel A. Green Scholarship program. The awards program, one of the region’s most renowned high school scholarship programs, granted $56,000 in college tuition to community-minded seniors who competed by penning a personal essay about leveraging education as a means to actively bolster their communities. The deserving scholarship recipients were celebrated today during a ceremony at The Franklin Institute. More than 600 students applied for the scholarships this year. 

“The purpose of this scholarship competition is to empower students to utilize their ingenuity and education to advance their communities and what better place to celebrate this mission than The Franklin Institute, a model for using creativity and intellect to give back to the world,” said Richard J. Green, C.E.O. and Chairman of Firstrust. “We are pleased to celebrate such a distinguished group of scholarship recipients, all of whom are poised to make positive changes in their own communities.”

Samuel A. Green, founder of Firstrust Bank, believed in the importance of receiving a college education and using it to give back to the community. Over eighty years later, the bank remains committed to these same values. This annual scholarship program upholds those founding principles by honoring young people in the region who reflect these principles. 

The 35 scholarship recipients were selected based on their written responses to a topic that is rooted in the mission of Firstrust, “How My College Education Will Help Me Cultivate Prosperity in My Community.” 

Sun Valley High School student, Olivia Shears, received the Grand Prize of $10,000; Central Bucks High School South student, Sophia Swartz, and Plymouth Whitemarsh High School student Sam Cohen, Second and Third Place winners each received $5,000 scholarships; and Taylor Fried, Upper Dublin High School student, won the $5,000 Teacher Award, specifically for a high school senior pursuing a career in education. 
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Thirty-one additional high school seniors from across the region were each awarded scholarships of $1,000:

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• Lauren Lofton, 21^st Century Cyber Charter School
• Egypt Mann-Stokes, Academy at Palumbo
• Emily Yu, Bayard Rustin High School
• Jacob Semrow, Central Bucks High School East
• Mary Kate McCloskey, Central Bucks High School East
• Shahlo Solieva, Central Bucks High School South 
• Michelle Chiu, Central High School
• Christina Williams, Central High School
• Gay Brown, Cherry Hill High School West
• Tori Penner, Council Rock High School East
• Madison Minio, Downingtown High School East
• Amanda Nguyen, East High School
• Patrick Carolan, Father Judge High School
• Kevin Schultz, Father Judge High School 
• Linda Mao, Freedom High School
• James Makovics, Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School
• Lauren Whitman, Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School
• Keaton Zaun, Liberty High School
• Jeanne Patrice Rodriguez, Little Flower High School
• Justin Leggin, Methacton High School
• Alexander Ahmad, Moravian Academy
• Bridget Herbert, Nazareth Academy High School
• Kevin Slack, Northwestern Lehigh High School
• Arionna Hurt, Perkiomen Valley High School
• London Murray, Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School
• Alyssa Green, Plymouth Whitemarsh High School
• Amanda Nerenberg, Plymouth Whitemarsh High School
• Emma Gaal, Spring-Ford Senior High School
• Braya Page, Upper Darby High School
• Rachel Madnick, Upper Dublin High School
• Sydney Poe, William Penn High School

The Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program has helped Firstrust award nearly one million dollars to more than 1,000 area college-bound students and families in the past 49 years.