More Than $4 Million in Scholarships to Benefit 809 Children of Verizon Employees Across the Country
NEWARK, N.J., July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Paying for college just got easier for four New Jersey students. They are among 809 students nationwide who received scholarships for the 2009-2010 academic year through Verizon's scholarship program for the children and dependents of company employees.
The students will receive $5,000 annually toward their college expenses. Each scholarship is renewable for three years and has a total value of $20,000.
This year's New Jersey recipients are:
- Stephanie Teodoro, daughter of Verizon employee Veronica Teodoro, who plans to attend Rutgers University.
- Dev Poonawala, son of Verizon employee Nitin Poonawala, who plans to attend Rutgers University.
- Caitlin Dorka, daughter of Verizon employee Heinz Dorka, who plans to attend the University of Vermont.
- Jennifer Walsh, daughter of Verizon employee Kenneth Walsh, who plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Verizon's scholarship program selects recipients based on financial need, academic achievement and extracurricular activities. The scholarships are for high school seniors who plan to attend an accredited four-year institution.
Since 2001, 2,152 students from across the country have benefited from the scholarship program, which has invested more than $36 million toward the college education of children and dependents of Verizon employees. For the 2009-2010 academic year, the Verizon Foundation will invest more than $4 million toward the education of 809 Verizon scholars.
'Education is a key issue for Verizon and for New Jersey,' said Dennis Bone, president of Verizon New Jersey.
