20 High School Seniors Across the Country Surprised by Foot Locker with $20,000 Checks For Game-Changing Scholarship

NEW YORK, May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the intersection of athletics, education, and community engagement as much a part of the national conversation as ever, the Foot Locker Foundation, Inc. is extremely proud to continue its support of college access for amazing student athletes through its Foot Locker Scholar Athletes program. For the seventh consecutive year, the Foot Locker Foundation has awarded $20,000 scholarships under the program to 20 such exceptional students, making college access significantly easier for them.

Seniors Andrea Wallace and Abel Berhan are two of the incredible students who were awarded this prestigious Foot Locker Scholar Athletes scholarship. Selected as a First Team All-Conference and All-County team member for her stellar basketball play during her senior season, Wallace also earned the title of team captain. Recognizing that young women are often told what not to say, rather than how to express themselves, Wallace founded Pass It Forward, an initiative focused on empowering young women to use their voices, display their strengths, and encourage one another. Wallace, a 4.0 GPA student, is proof that the selflessness learned in team sports is translatable to everyday life and intends to make Pass It Forward a global initiative. Wallace plans to attend a university where she can study pre-law, delving into the intricacies of the judicial system and its disproportionate effects on teenagers from disadvantaged communities.

Similar to Wallace, Berhan has made it evident that he thrives in leadership positions with roles in athletics and numerous advocacy groups. He qualified for Cross Country Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) State two years in a row and raced at Track & Field WIAA Districts during his junior season, all as captain for both varsity teams. Berhan, a first-generation Ethiopian-American student, is also pushing for change and inclusion, challenging the status quo by leading activities with This Gen: Youth Summit to End Gender-Based Violence, ACLU Summer Advocacy Internship, and Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America Scholars, a Princeton University-led program during which he conducted research about mass incarceration. A 4.0 GPA student, Berhan has been accepted to several Ivy League universities and looks forward to continuing working toward his goals.

"The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes program has become an important platform to showcase some of the most talented and exceptional young scholar athletes across the country, like Andrea and Abel, who are making a tremendous impact within their communities," stated Richard A. Johnson, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Foot Locker, Inc. "We remain deeply committed to investing in and empowering today's youth and firmly believe high tuition costs and student debt should never stop anyone from succeeding."

This year, amidst the stories of thousands of deserving students, one dynamic scholar athlete stood out. He triumphed in the face of tragedy by supporting his community through critical cleanup efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria while maintaining strong academics and leadership in sports. Ignacio Tomás Veloz Bonilla from San Juan, an outstanding three-time recipient of the Best Cross Country Runner and Best Track and Field Runner awards at American Military Academy, is a true symbol of the values of the Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program, and the Foundation is proud to announce Veloz as the recipient of the Ken C. Hicks Scholarship. This additional $5,000 scholarship (totaling $25,000) is awarded each year to one of the 20 inductees for exemplifying superior academic achievement, passion for his community, and a true love of the game. It is named in honor of Foot Locker's former Chairman and CEO.

The availability of scholarship programs, such as the Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program, can make a real difference in the affordability of a college education. This year's 20 winners will join the program's six previous classes of Foot Locker Scholar Athletes, which results in 140 total scholarship recipients over the seven years since the program's inception in 2011. With the 2018 Class, the Foot Locker Foundation will have invested nearly $3 million in the education and future of some of America's most promising scholar athletes. Supporting this all-star program is Fastweb, a trusted scholarship and financial aid resource used by students and some of the scholarship winners to help find opportunities to pay for school.

Wallace, Berhan, and Veloz embody the core qualities of the student-athletes that the program honors. The 17 other awardees come from diverse backgrounds and represent a variety of sports disciplines, personal achievements, and community involvement. Despite overcoming economic hardships, loss, natural disasters, and chronic illnesses, these young people have created inspiring opportunities through leadership in their athletics, academics and communities, not just for themselves, but also for others.

Snapshots of the winners are below. To learn more, visit: https://footlockerscholarathletes.com/

About Foot Locker Foundation:
Founded in 2001, Foot Locker Foundation is the charitable arm of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,300 stores in 24 countries in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Since its inception, the Foundation has developed significant partnerships, programs, and initiatives to improve and enrich communities across the country. Our mission is to promote a better world for today's youth by creating, developing, and supporting innovative educational programs and encouraging health and well-being through physical activity.

About Fastweb:
Fastweb, a top site in the Monster network, is the nation's recognized leader in helping students pay for school, by providing scholarship and financial aid information, as well as information on jobs and internships. As the oldest and most popular free online scholarship matching service, one out of three college-bound seniors use the site and more than 50 million users have benefitted from Fastweb's information and services. Fastweb lets students create personalized profiles that can be matched against its expansive databases of colleges and scholarships. To learn more about Fastweb, visit www.fastweb.com and follow Fastweb on social media for the latest on paying for school all year long: Twitter (at @PayingForSchool); Facebook; Pinterest; Google+.

SOURCE Foot Locker Foundation, Inc.