Contact: Horatio Alger Association
(301) 392-6053

Life's Hardships Yield Special Scholarships For 50 Delaware High School Seniors

April 27, 2006/Washington, D.C. - Poverty, disability, foster care, parental substance abuse, and physical abuse are some of the adversities that could not prevent fifty outstanding high school seniors from throughout Delaware from wanting to live out their American dream and have more for themselves. Each is now the recipient of a 2006 Horatio Alger Delaware Scholarship of two thousand five hundred dollars for their college education. (A complete list of the 2006 Horatio Alger Delaware Scholars immediately follows this release).

The 2006 Horatio Alger Delaware Scholars provide an inspiring example of Delaware's youth, having already demonstrated a drive to accomplish their goals, even in the face of adversity. These students have utilized initiative, perseverance and hard work to overcome the adversity they have faced in their lives.

This accomplished group of young people has demonstrated success in academics, co-curricular activities and community service while taking on some of life's most difficult challenges. Each of these young people possess the aspirations and potential to make important contributions in Delaware and around the world. The scholarship may be used to pursue a bachelor's degree at any accredited college or university within the United States.

The Horatio Alger Delaware Scholars Program is funded through the generosity of the MBNA Foundation and Michele Rollins and her children Michele, Monique, Michael and Marc, personally. Ms. Rollins' late husband John W. Rollins Sr. was inducted as member the Horatio Alger Association, an organization comprised of Americans who have overcome adversity and humble beginnings to achieve success, in 1963 and served as its Chairman, President & CEO.

"Access to a college education should not be determined by how much money a young person has but how much they want a degree. This program will provide the incredible young people here in Delaware with the opportunity to achieve their goals by making a college education attainable for them", states Michele Rollins. Since 1984 the Horatio Alger Association's need based scholarship programs have helped hundreds of deserving students across the nation pursue their dreams of a post secondary education through their unique scholarships that recognize the circumstances and hardships of students as well as their achievements. Mrs. Rollins continues, "The Horatio Alger Association's experience working with students of limited financial means who want to obtain a college education is unmatched."

The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit educational association. Through the generosity of its members, more than $8.5 million in need-based college scholarships will be awarded this year to young people nationwide. For more information about the Association's scholarships and programs please visit www.horatioalger.org.

Applications for consideration as a 2007 Horatio Alger Delaware Scholar are available June 1 through October 15, 2006 at www.horatioalger.org/scholarships.

2006 Delaware Scholarship Winners

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