The 2017 scholarship winners for the Garwin Family Foundation’s Carbondale Community High School (CCHS) Student Sponsorship Program for Talented Students in the Arts, Sciences, and Math are (left to right): Ian Kinsel, CCHS sophomore; Jaden Lucas, CCHS junior; Zeyad Moustafa, CCHS junior; Peter Huh, CCHS sophomore; and Gabriela Benyas, CCHS freshman.
Five high-achieving Carbondale Community High School (CCHS) students have earned merit-based scholarships from the Garwin Family Foundation (GFF) to attend exceptional summer enrichment programs focused on the arts, sciences, or math.
“For our fourth summer, we have the privilege of sending brilliant and dedicated CCHS students to rigorous summer programs across the country,” said Marsha Ryan, MD, JD, FACS, GFF director. “The GFF is very happy to support this year’s scholarship recipients as they polish their already impressive skills.”
The 2017 sponsorees are:
- Gabriela Benyas, a CCHS freshman, who will attend the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music Summer Academy;
- Peter Huh, a CCHS sophomore, who was admitted to the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Institutes, where he will study “Particle Physics”;
- Ian Kinsel, a CCHS sophomore, who was also accepted to the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Institutes, where he will focus on “Engineering”;
- Jaden Lucas, a CCHS junior, who was admitted to the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Institutes, as well, where he will concentrate on “Astrochemistry: Origins of Life in Space”; and
- Zeyad Moustafa, a CCHS junior, who matriculated into the Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) program, where he will conduct research on evolution patterns and mechanisms using computational analysis of genomics data at Saint Louis University.
“The Garwin Family Foundation Student Sponsorship Program for Talented Students in Arts, Sciences, and Math continues to expand the scope of opportunities for students at CCHS,” said Steve Murphy, CCHS superintendent. “Our students are beyond fortunate not only for the life-changing opportunities the scholarships provide, but also for the benefits of participating in the Program’s rigorous interview and reporting processes. The Garwin family has developed a truly unique program to foster responsibility and reward excellence, and I am beyond grateful for their support of our students.”
The program has a lasting impact on the lives of recipients by increasing their academic prowess through advanced studies in an area of proven ability and interest, by making them more competitive in their college applications, and by preparing them for college life through the development of time-management and independent-living skills. Previous scholarship winners have chosen to pursue undergraduate majors in the area of their GFF-sponsored programs, and a number have decided to attend the top universities where they participated in their summer enrichment studies.
“We are extremely appreciative of the support that the Garwin Family Foundation offers our students to further their study in the arts, sciences, and math,” said Daniel Booth, CCHS principal. “It’s amazing to see students from our school go off to the most prestigious academic institutions across the country and learn from the best in the field. Their enrichment through these programs, with the financial sponsorship awarded by the Garwin Family Foundation, is another example of why students at Carbondale Community High School can compete with any high school students in the United States on an academic level.”
The GFF, a tax-exempt operating foundation based in Carbondale, IL, was established in 1993 by Leo and Ruth Garwin. The GFF’s principle objectives are furthering study and fostering achievement in the arts and sciences, humanities, law, and medicine. In the two decades of its operation, it has underwritten many educational programs; its latest project is the CCHS Student Sponsorship Program for Talented Students in Arts, Sciences, and Math.