By Sophia Chang
50 Cent, ne Curtis Jackson of South Jamaica, has given Queensborough Community College $30,000 for 10 full tuition scholarships to benefit southeast Queens students from the Campus Magnet Schools and from Springfield Gardens and Hillcrest high schools.”Stars emerge from all segments of a high school class, not just the top. It is my goal to help some kids who haven't met their full potential yet,” 50 Cent said in a news release from the college. “And Queensborough makes sense. The motivated student has no reason to not succeed at Queensborough, and this scholarship gets them started.”School officials hailed the scholarship fund as a prime example of a native son giving back to Queens.”We are very pleased to note that here is somebody from that neighborhood who is cognizant and is aware of the need to give back,” said Ellen Hartigan, vice president of student affairs at Queensborough. “There is nothing greater than to see somebody who did well himself reach back and pull others up. It's really heartening to see Mr. Jackson has decided to target students who, as he puts it, might otherwise be forgotten.”The scholarships, for graduating seniors to enroll at the college this fall, will be administered through the rapper's public foundation G-UNITY, named after 50 Cent's rap collective and record label G-Unit. Hartigan said that applications were being disbursed at the three high schools and that scholarship winners would be announced in mid-July.”It's especially gratifying to know that for students who otherwise are overlooked when it comes to any type of encouragement that there's a scholarship,” she said.And because Queensborough provides students with a launching pad to traditional four-year colleges or professional careers, Hartigan said the scholarship recipients would be well-equipped to pursue greater achievements after their time at the school.”Because of the outstanding academy and student support we provide, we can really help to motivate them and improve their confidence and their skills to prepare them to move on,” she said. “They really will be prepared after their years at Queensborough. Oftentimes students may not be as focused on their studies because of work or other distractions that come their way. This is a great opportunity to let them come to school and study.”Reach reporter Sophia Chang by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
