By Bob Harris
The Queens High Schools District Office has announced that Queens high school graduates of June 2002 have been offered $119 million in four-year scholarships. This $119 million is based on statistics submitted by 34 Queens high schools for the 2001-2002 school year.
This scholarship money includes SUNY and CUNY scholarships, as well as money from private schools in New York City and state, out-of-state schools, legislators, unions, business corporations, civic groups, private scholarships which honor former teachers or other people, parent-teacher associations and other sources.
Some students received full scholarships for as much as $90,000 from large well-known universities, while other graduates received a few hundred dollars to pay for books. Some students were accepted to the U.S. military academies which provide a fully paid education. Every conceivable college and university has offered our Queens high school graduates full or partial scholarships.
This $119 million is only the money offered to Queens graduates. There are four other high school districts in New York City, so by multiplying the figure one can roughly figure how much money our city students were offered for their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service and athletic prowess.
This is a tribute to the hard work of students, the support of their parents or guardians, the instruction of their teachers and the support of their school supervisors.
Students are offered scholarships because college officials feel they can succeed in college. Queens high school students can study in many challenging classes which include normal academic subjects as well as advanced technical and vocational subjects.
An educational institution such as Thomas A. Edison Vocational & Technical High School offers students challenging courses such as computer electronics engineering, CAD/mechanical engineering, computer sciences, programming, Internet technologies, commercial/graphic arts, information technologies, automobile technologies, electrical technologies and pre-med/pharmacology.
There is a Cisco Academy in the school with Cisco certification available. There also is a C+ computer repair program with the possibility of graduates earning $42,000 after certification. Some students take college courses with St. John’s University and Queensborough Community College.
Hillcrest High School has a 500-member health careers program, a theater institute, a pre-med program, a teaching institute in collaboration with St. John’s University, a Cisco academy, a project arts in partnership with St. John’s University and a virtual enterprise classroom. Some students take College NOW classes, plus the usual honors and advanced placement college courses.
The Queens Gateway to Health Sciences Secondary School is a small 550-student institution on 87th Road in Jamaica which prepares students for health science careers. Like Hillcrest’s health careers program, the Gateway school provides internships at Queens Hospital Center, enrichment courses during the summer at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and College NOW classes and has a bioscience studies institute and a research institute.
Francis Lewis High School has the Jacob K. Javitz Law Institute, the University Scholars program and math/science research programs. There also is the College NOW program with Queens College and Queensborough Community College, as well as law mentorships with the law firm of Proskauer and Rose. It has an extensive Junior ROTC program.
Jamaica High School has a legal studies institute, a finance institute, a computer science institute and the Gateway to Medicine program. The school also provides College NOW, humanities, studio art and advanced placement college courses.
Martin Van Buren High School features the Center for the Study of Natural/Behavioral Science, the School of Business and Computer Studies, a virtual enterprise classroom, a partnership with Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Polytechnic University and LaGuardia Community College, a DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor and the “Bridge to Medicine” program at York College. Students can take advanced placement courses.
These Queens high schools as well as others have a large, rich assortment of extra/co-curricular activities and a variety of teams that foster understanding and sportsmanship. These activities, plus academic learning, made it possible for our Queens students to have been offered $119 million in scholarships. That is good!
