FiSCA Awards Scholarships to Thirty-Four Outstanding College-Bound Students

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- For the tenth consecutive year, the Financial Service Centers of America (FiSCA) has awarded scholarships to college bound seniors in areas across the United States serviced by its members. The awards were announced at the 21st Annual FiSCA's Conference & Exposition, taking place in Colorado Springs, CO. One of the scholarship winners, Brandon Barbello of Burbank, CA, attended the conference and accepted his award in person. He is currently a freshman at Stanford University. The award ceremony, including remarks from Mr. Barbello, can be found by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNmprmHRjag and you can find the accompanying presentation at http://www.fisca.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Events/2009AnnualConferenceExposition/NationalScholarshipPresentation.pdf.

This year 34 exemplary students from across the country each received cash grants of at least $2,000 to use toward their college expenses. In total $70,500 in scholarships were awarded. The criteria for the scholarships include:

• Commitment to community service
• Perseverance in the face of significant obstacles
• Display of leadership skills in school
• Academic Achievement
• An original essay written specifically for the competition
  

The competition for the scholarships is intense, with more than 1,500 high school seniors applying for the 34 awards. All applications are ranked by first regional and then national review committees.

"It is an important time to support students in their pursuit of higher education," said Sanford Herman, Chairman, FiSCA Scholarship Program. "Even in these difficult economic times, individual FiSCA members as well as MoneyGram International and Western Union, our national sponsors, are committed to the Scholarship Program and to the communities they serve. Our industry leaders understand that investing in America's future is in everyone's best interests."

With this year's awards FiSCA has issued $530,500 in college grants to 225 deserving students across the country since the program's inception in 1999. The scholarship program is funded by the voluntary contributions of FiSCA members and affiliate members, as well as national sponsors MoneyGram International and Western Union.

"FiSCA's members are driven to continue to be positive community establishments and this scholarship program continues to be a way for us to give back to these communities in which we work and live," said Herman. "Giving these students a chance to continue their education is an honor for us, and it is exciting to help these students fulfill their academic potential and lifelong goals."'

The winners of the 2009 FiSCA Scholarship Program include:

      Winner                 Location              High School
      ------                 --------              -----------

    East
    Gayatri Malhotra       Forest Hills, NY   Stuyvesant High School
    Min Yang               Haverstraw, NY     North Rockland High School
    Krysten S. Thomas      Washington, DC     National Cathedral School
    Maliah Tariq           Madison, CT        Daniel Hand High School
    Rachel M. Babineau     Stratford, CT      Frank Scott Bunnell High School
    Cara Falon Thompson    Sicklerville, NJ   Gloucester County Institute
                                               of Technology
    Jeremiah P. Hudson     Forestville, MD    Central High School

    Southeast
    Allison M. White       Portland, TN       Portland High School
    Alesia N. McFarlin     Greenville, SC     Southside High School
    Michelle D. Rooks      Wesley Chapel, FL  Wesley Chapel High School
    Nathalie G. Calderon   Apopka, FL         Apopka High School
    Tiffany J. Martin      Port Saint         Treasure Coast High School
                            Lucie, FL
    Shannen T. Jacobs      Cedar Grove, NC    Cedar Ridge High School
    Anna A. Miles          Valdosta, GA       Valdosta High School

    Midwest
    Christopher J. Murray  Hinsdale, IL       Hinsdale Central High School
    Kara Faciszewski       Marshfield, WI     Marshfield High School
    Erika J. Vivyan        Farmington         Harrison High School
                            Hills, MI
    Angela Weng            Chicago, IL        Whitney M. Young Magnet High
                                               School
    Sarah M. Menke         Evansville, IN     North High School
    Brittany S. Polin      Bardstown, KY      Bardstown High School
    Erin L. Adams          Lee's Summit, MO   Lee's Summit High School
    Katherine G. Polenick  Warren, OH         Warren G. Harding High School

    Southwest
    Vickie Garcia          Waco, TX           A.J. Moore Academy
    Kara J. Ortiz          El Paso, TX        Franklin High School
    Lute Yang              Spring, TX         Klein Collins High School
    Matthew A. Smelser     Olathe, CO         Olathe High School
    Allison L. Jones       Mansfield, TX      Mansfield Legacy High School
    Christian R. Amador    Yuma, AZ           Kofa High School
    Lindsey E. Maxon       Arlington, TX      Lamar High School

    West
    Demoni A. Newman       Torrington, WY     Torrington High School
    Brandon C. Barbello    Burbank, CA        John Burroughs High School
    Danica J. Loucks       Hamilton, MT       Hamilton High School
    Jeremy R. Chang        Laguna Niguel, CA  Dana Hills High School
    Matthew T. Demopoulous Santa Barbara, CA  Santa Barbara High School

About FiSCA
FiSCA, founded in 1987, is the national trade association for more than 6,500 individual financial service centers across the United States. FiSCA members provide a wide variety of financial services and products to their communities, including check cashing, money orders, money transfers, and electronic bill payment services, automatic teller machine access, government benefit and payroll payments, small dollar short-term loans, electronic tax preparation, prepaid debit cards, deposit acceptance services, public transportation fare and token sales, motor vehicle license plate and title distribution, postage stamp sales and numerous other services. For more information, please visit www.fisca.org.