Schools
Johnson's Rachel Syko Wins Comcast Scholarship
The Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship recognizes New Jersey high school seniors for academic achievement and community service.
Johnson senior Rachel Syko was recently named one of the 69 recipients of the Comcast Foundation's Leaders and Achievers Scholarship program.
The 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.
To apply for the program students had to complete three essays focusing on leadership and community service, which was easy for Syko. "Every year I pick a new community service to be involved with," she says. Freshman year, Syko was involved in the Key Club at Johnson and sophomore year she volunteered with New Jersey Hawks specialized soccer team for kids who are disabled. "I would go there and do drills and things, and the kids were so cute and you really had to be patient," says Syko. "It was one of the best experiences."
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Soccer has always been one of Syko's passions. She played for Johnson varsity and a traveling team throughout high school. She'll also continue to play in college at Kean University, where she's been accepted as one of 50 freshman into the university's prestigious Leadership Program.
Junior and senior years, Syko volunteered as a cadet with the Clark Emergency Squad. Her work with the squad and her many concussions incurred on the soccer field, led Syko to an interest in speech therapy, especially helping head trauma patients. Senior year, Syko shadowed Judith Koebli, the district's speech therapist, and has now decided she will study speech therapy at Kean.
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In addition to her service work, Syko also has plenty of credibility as a school leader. She's been class president every year at Johnson and was chosen as homecoming queen this year. But it was the off the field that really got Syko inspired to do something.
"When I found out about Eryka, everyone was just in terrible shock," says Syko. "I talked to my mom and said we have to do something." First, Syko and her mother started selling rubber bracelets, and then they coordinated an auction fundraiser at the Firehouse in Rahway. They raised more than $5,000 to help with Underwood's medical bills.
Charisse R. Lillie, vice president of Community Investment of Comcast Corporation and executive vice president of the Comcast Foundation, was joined by New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt, who chairs the Assembly’s Committee on Higher Education, in recognizing the students at a special event held at the Trenton War Memorial on May 17.
“In the state of New Jersey, we are committed to helping our young people gain access to quality education and opportunities for personal success,” said Lt. Governor Guadagno. “Comcast shares in that commitment and through programs like Leaders and Achievers, is investing in a bright future for us all.”
“Comcast is proud of its Leaders & Achievers scholarship recipients. They represent some of the best and brightest high school seniors who also demonstrate civic involvement in the communities we serve across the country,” said Lillie. “We are thrilled to support their educational efforts with these scholarships.”
Since the program’s inception there have been more than 15,000 scholarship winners totaling more than $15.4 million nationwide, including nearly $1.3 million awarded to students in the state of New Jersey.
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See the other 2011 Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship winners from New Jersey:
Atlantic
Atlantic City – Anthony Cox of Atlantic City High School
Galloway Township – Cierra Kaler-Jones of Absegami High School
Richland – Matthew Doherty of St Augustine Preparatory School
Burlington
Burlington – Luke Capritti of Burlington Township High School
Burlington – Angel Wilson of Burlington City High School
Columbus – Aashika Suseendran of Northern Burlington County Regional High School
Delran – Aubrey Paris of Delran High School
Moorestown – Autumn Talley of Moorestown Friends School
Mount Holly – Brett Axler of Rancocas Valley Regional High School
Mount Holly – Arayna Spratley of Burlington County Institute Of Technology
Willingboro – Kyleen Cezar of Willingboro High School
Camden
Atco – MacKenzie Slusser of Winslow Township High School
Camden – Gabrielle Days of Camden City Creative Arts High School
Camden – Kwame Phillips of Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts School
Camden – Alexis Sutch of Camden Academy Charter High School
Cherry Hill – Shannon Cahill of Camden Catholic High School
Cherry Hill – Kerwing Hy of Cherry Hill High School West
Cherry Hill – Tezita Watts of Cherry Hill High School East
Erial – Deanna Doyon of Timber Creek Regional High School
Gloucester City – Angela Harris of Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School
Lindenwold – Christopher Price of Lindenwold High School
Pine Hill – Gilbert Bundalian of Overbrook Regional Senior High School
Sickerville – Joseph Cannizzo of Gloucester Township Technical High School
Voorhees – Jianan Huang of Eastern Senior High School
Westmont – Matthew Dezii of Haddon Township High School
Cape May
North Wildwood – Brittani Helverson of Wildwood Catholic High School
Cumberland
Bridgeton – Shannon Branch of Bridgeton High School
Millville – Sarah Workman of Millville Senior High School
Essex
Caldwell – Meghan Duffy of Mount Saint Dominic Academy
Montclair – Kevin Alvernaz of Immaculate Conception High School
West Orange – Deborah Rose of West Orange High School
Gloucester
Franklinville – Olivia Davis of Delsea Regional High School
Sewell – Diondre Douglas of Gloucester County Institute of Technology
Westville – Jade Fox of West Deptford High School
Woodbury – Julio Interiano of Woodbury Senior High School
Hudson
Jersey City – Alexis Domenech of University Academy Charter School at New Jersey City University
Jersey City – Rachel Freeman of St. Anthony High School
Jersey City – Devin Jackson of Henry Snyder High School
Jersey City – Fantasia Jenkins of St. Dominic Academy
Jersey City – Penafrancia Malcampo of Saint Mary High School
Jersey City – Kamal Shah of Dr. Ronald McNair Academic High School
Jersey City – Harsh Swaminarayan of William L. Dickinson High School
Hunterdon
Glen Gardner – Kathryn Hahn of Voorhees High School
Mercer
Ewing – Courtney Rufh of Ewing High School
Trenton – Tyis Everett of Trenton High School West
Trenton – Brian Ridolfi of McVs Assunpink Center V.S.
Middlesex
Carteret – Rubina Chauhan of Carteret High School
East Brunswick – Taran Sayal of East Brunswick High School
Monmouth Junction – Ernest Miu of South Brunswick High School
Monroe Township – Shannon Vaivada of Monroe Township High School
Perth Amboy – Lorenza Jerez of Perth Amboy High School
Plainsboro – Shayla Reid of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
Monmouth
Highlands - Sue-Jean Sung of Marine Academy Of Science & Technology
Lincroft – Betty Liu of High Technology High School
Long Branch – Diana Dos Santos of Long Branch High School
New Monmouth – Kara Teehan of Mater Dei Prep
Ocean
Point Pleasant – Jacqueline Taylor of Point Pleasant Beach High School
Toms River – Steven Brandt of Toms River High School East
Toms River – Brisamar Cruz of Ocean County Voc-Tech School
Toms River - See Gin Lee of Toms River High School North
Toms River – Luke McCauley of Toms River High School South
Union
Berkeley Heights – Eric Whyte of Governor Livingston High School
Clark – Rachel Syko of Arthur L. Johnson High School
Cranford – Colleen Jones of Cranford High School
Plainfield – Chanelle Sears of Plainfield High School
Scotch Plains – Megan Tosato of Union Catholic Regional High School
Summit – Gregory Vartan of Summit High School
Warren
Hackettstown – Amanda Haar of Hackettstown High School
Washington – Jessica Nguyen of Warren Hills Regional High School
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