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Last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state is raffling off scholarships to New Yorkers between the ages of 12 and 17 who go out and get a COVID-19 vaccine in the next several weeks.
Scholarships include full tuition and board to any public college or university for the full four years for adolescents who get their shot.
Among the latest winners in the second round were Orange County resident Madeline Nokland and Dutchess County resident Samatha Spadaro, who now have their choice of going to school for free post-graduation when they head off to college.
Other winners statewide were:
- Tejveer Singh, of Suffolk County;
- Isabella Weber, of Suffolk County;
- Audrey Park, of Saratoga County;
- Brett Montevecchio, of Monroe County;
- Ford Morrison, of Erie County;
- Emilio Nabil Brau, of Brooklyn;
- Ivy Bloomfield, of Brooklyn;
- Gabrielle Fledderman, of Tioga County.
"We're in the post-COVID emergency period. The emergency is over, it's a new chapter," Cuomo said. "It's not that we believe that COVID is gone. We still have to vaccinate people, especially young people. That's still a priority."
Cuomo previously estimated that the total value of the four-year scholarships could exceed $100,000 for families.
“Our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a free ride to any public college or university in the state is proof that the vaccine won't just make you safer—it very well might make your future, too,” he added. “Congratulations to the 10 winners announced today, and good luck to the kids and parents eagerly awaiting next week's drawing.”
Each week through Wednesday, July 7, 10 more students will be chosen for scholarships through the raffle in New York. Anyone who receives a vaccine during the program will have their name in each drawing moving forward.
“Incentivizing younger hesitant individuals to get vaccinated will help us return to more normalcy—and to that end, we all win,” SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras stated.
"My congratulations to today's scholarship recipients and future SUNY college students. They will be getting a world-class education that will put them on the path to prosperity."
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