Former Blazer awarded W.R. Grace & Co. College Scholarship

On Aug. 17, Student Government Association (SGA) President for the 2009-2010 school year Alex Bae was selected to receive a W.R. Grace & Co. Awards College Scholarship, one of 10 awarded annually. The grant scholarship awards winners $2,000 annually for four years.

Grace Award Scholarships recipients are high school graduates who exhibit excellence and success in the fields of academic performance, community service and school-related activities, according to the company's Web site.

Chairman of the Grace Foundation Brian McGowan spoke highly of the foundation and its recipients. "For more than two decades, we have offered scholarships to high-achieving students," McGowan said. "We are proud to continue the tradition with these incoming college freshmen, who plan to pursue degrees crucial to our communities, ranging from nursing to chemistry to law."

According to Bae, the application process was fairly simple. "My dad works for W.R. Grace & Co., so he got me an application from work. I had to answer some questions about myself, fill in things about my SAT score, college plans, extracurricular activities, grades," Bae said.

In the fall, Bae will attend Yale University in New Haven, Conn., as a freshman. He is pleased that the Grace Scholarship will be able to help him to pay for the high cost of college tuition. "Paying for college is an enormous burden on most families, mine included, and even the smallest amount of help can go a long way," Bae said.

At Blair, Alex graduated from the Science, Mathematics and Computer Science Magnet Program and took place in several extracurricular activities, such as swim team, debate team and various honor societies. With a cumulative GPA of 4.0, he is a recipient of the National Merit Scholarship and the Maryland State Distinguished Scholar Award, among several other accolades.