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Redskins' Cooley Promotes Scholarship Contest
posted 02/18/09
6:45 pm
He made pop visits to Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring and Fairmont Heights High School in Capitol Heights to announce he's holding a scholarship contest for seniors. The winners will get $25,000 for college.
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| Montgomery Blair senior Melisa Alvarez, a single mom, plans to apply. |
Blair senior Melisa Alvarez says it could change her life.
"I'm a single mom, so anything I can get is basically good," she said.
Alvarez and her classmates heard Cooley speak about the importance of education. It was one of eight stops Cooley is making around the region to announce the $25,000 scholarship contest in his name. One scholarship winner will be chosen at each of the eight schools.
"It doesn't matter if you win a scholarship or not, " Cooley said. "You still have the opportunity to get an education at any level and I think that's very important for these kids to know."
Melisa plans to apply. She's a C-student doing her best to balance taking care of her 14-month-old son, Avery, and working to make ends meet.
"It's kind of hard for me to keep up my grades .. cause I haven't been in school that often," Alvarez said, wishing she could be in class more often.
While Melisa's story is unique, she is just one of many deserving students at Blair. Her odds of winning are slim, but Wednesday's pep talk from Cooley has made an impact -- scholarship or not.
"I hope that she knows that there are a lot of people out there who are willing to help her and that, as long as she tries, she will prevail, she will succeed,” Vicmarie Arocho, Blair's Parent Community Coordinator , said of Alvarez.
“I can do a lot,” Alvarez said. “ And people are out there to help me no matter whether I know them or not.”
A group of college admissions officers will read the essays and pick out the top entries from each school. Then Cooley will pick the winners from that group. The winners will be announced in May.
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