Comcast NBCUniversal has awarded $45,000 in scholarships for the 2020-2021 school year to 18 Connecticut students as part of its annual Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program. Students are selected for their outstanding community service, academic performance, and leadership skills. The award, funded by the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation, is a one-time, $2,500 scholarship to be used toward undergraduate education-related expenses. Since 2001, more than $34 million has been awarded to about 30,000 high school seniors across the country as part of the Leaders and Achievers program, including $800,000 to nearly 670 students in Connecticut.
“Congratulations to the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship award winners,” said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. “I appreciate that this scholarship recognizes academic achievement, leadership and community service, as these are important principles for success in college and beyond. I wish these students all the best on their journey.”
“We are honored to recognize the amazing achievements of our Leaders and Achievers scholarship winners and to help them further their education,” said Dennis Mathew, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Western New England Region, which is headquartered in Connecticut. “They are top achievers in academics, leaders in the community and leaders among their peers. They represent our future, and Comcast NBCUniversal is proud to support them.”
The Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program recognizes high school seniors for their community service, academic performance, and leadership skills. These scholarships are provided to give young people the opportunity to continue their education to better compete in tomorrow’s workplace. Applicants to the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program must demonstrate academic excellence, commitment to community service, and outstanding qualities in character, integrity, and leadership.
When asked what community service meant to them, Elicia Colon from Bloomfield High School said that, “Community service is a way to give back to my village – a way of honoring those who helped me to become the person I am today.”
Marc D’Almeida from New Britain High School added, “Many pivotal moments of my life have been because of those that chose to help me. Community service means the opportunity for me to be a resource and give back to the world.”
The students who received this year’s scholarship are:
| Student Name | Hometown | High School |
| Syed Ali | New Britain | CREC Academy of Science and Innovation |
| Arie Bethea | Windsor | Windsor High School |
| Lillian Bierwirth | Berlin | Berlin High School |
| Mary Elizabeth Butler | North Haven | North Haven High School |
| Faiza Chowdhury | Ansonia | Ansonia High School |
| Elicia Colon | Bloomfield | Bloomfield High School |
| Marc D’Almeida | New Britain | New Britain High School |
| Ava Labella | Middletown | Mercy High School |
| Francesca Ledoux | New London | New London High School |
| Shanice Martin | Waterbury | Waterbury Career Academy |
| Khushi Patel | Old Saybrook | Old Saybrook Senior High School |
| Jithu Sajeevan | Bristol | Bristol Central High School |
| Mayra Vasquez | Hartford | Classical Magnet School |
| Jocelyn Villacreses | Danbury | Danbury High School |
| Lily Vining | Wallingford | Lyman Hall High School |
| Paul Waweru | Hartford | Avon High School |
| Ashaureah Williams | East Hartford | CREC Academy of Science and Innovation |
| Jacquelyn Yorker | East Hampton | East Hampton High School |
