Blazers receive Children of the Dream Award, Horatio Alger scholarship

Blair seniors Tigist Tadesse and Bemnet Zewdie both received notable awards in January. Tadesse received the Martin Luther King Children of the Dream Award and Zewdie won a $22,000 scholarship from the

The Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program was created to encourage students to pursue their own version of the American Dream by providing scholarship opportunities. Zewdie was recommended for the scholarship by Jose Medrano, who is in charge of the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program. The ACES program was designed to create an accessible pathway to college for students who are underrepresented in higher education. Zewdie submitted the application at the last minute and then forgot about it, and he didn't anticipate winning the scholarship. "It was unexpected but a great surprise," Zewdie said. He plans on attending the University of Maryland.

The Horatio Alger Scholarship Program was established in 1974 by Kenneth Beebe and is privately funded. Applicants must be enrolled in high school with plans to attend college, be involved in extracurricular and community activities and demonstrate financial need. "For many bright young students, receiving a college education and degree may seem inaccessible due to financial constraints," David Sokol, chairman of the Horatio Alger Association, said in a recent press release. "Horatio Alger Association is committed to its core mission of helping talented students who, despite facing both economic and personal hardships, continually strive toward their goal of achieving higher education."