Contact: Horatio Alger Association
(301) 392-6053

Life's Hardships Yield Special Scholarships For 20 Miami Dade County High School Seniors

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

All of the 2006 Horatio Alger Miami Dade Scholars have 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 Miami Dade and throughout the world. The scholarship may be used to attend any college or university within the United States.

The Horatio Alger Florida Scholars Program is funded by John Dasburg. Mr. Dasburg is Chairman and CEO of Astar Air Cargo, Inc. He was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., an organization comprised of Americans who have overcome humble beginnings to achieve success, in 2001 and currently serves on the Association's Board of Directors.

"No child should be denied access to a higher education because of financial need. This program will provide the incredible young people here in Miami Dade with the opportunity to achieve their goals by making a college education attainable for them," states Mr. Dasburg. 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. John Dasburg 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 Florida Miami-Dade Scholar are available June 1 through October 15, 2006 at www.horatioalger.org/scholarships.

2006 Florida Miami-Dade Scholarship Winners

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