The students who were awarded scholarships attend Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, Norwalk Community College and Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury and Danbury.
Awards were accepted by the three college presidents — NCC's David Levinson, HCC's Paul Broadie, and HVCC's Cocco De Filippis — at the foundation’s annual luncheon at the Roger Sherman Inn in New Canaan.
The Leonhardt Scholars Program was established by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation by local philanthropist Anne Leonhardt in 2003 to provide four-year renewable scholarships to graduating students at the 16 public high schools in Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford.
The Scholars Program exemplified Leonhardt’s belief that the cities’ young people should have access to a college education, regardless of their income.
From 2003-12, the Leonhardt Scholarship Program awarded more than $1 million to 143 graduating students. The remainder of the money, totaling $100,000 for each college, now will boost educational opportunities to deserving students attending those educational institutions.
“The Leonhardt Scholarship Program has enabled bright, talented yet financially disadvantaged high school students a valuable opportunity to achieve their educational goals, and we are thrilled, in partnership with Anne Leonhardt, to now lend vital financial support to community college students,” said Juanita James, president and chief executive officer of the foundation. “Enabling young people in Fairfield County to thrive by 25 is a goal at the foundation, and scholarship funds such as the Leonhardt program offers incredible support to this goal.”
Fairfield County’s Community Foundation manages one of the largest scholarship programs in the region for both graduating high school seniors and full-time students already enrolled in college, according to a press release. Since 2006, $3.6 million in scholarships have benefitted 1,600 students in Fairfield County and throughout the state, according to a press release.
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