NY CHECK CASHERS ANNOUNCE 5TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP
PROGRAM WINNERS

Click for photos

NEW YORK, NY, May 25, 2000 --The Check Cashers Association of New York, Inc. (CCANY), in partnership with Minneapolis-based Travelers Express Company-Money Gram, today announced its fifth annual scholarship competition winners.

In all, 15 winners were chosen and $27,500 awarded to deserving college-bound high school seniors attending the New York City public school system.

The scholarship program, "Rewarding Young Leaders in Our Community," gives cash grants to outstanding high school seniors using as criteria, leadership skills in both school and local community, financial need and academic achievement.

First place winners were awarded a $3,000 grant (by comparison, $1,500 in the first year) for the 2000/2001 academic year at the association’s recent eighth annual conference and vendors show, at which Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer congratulated the winners, and took note that over $100,000 has been awarded by the check cashing industry since the scholarship program’s inception.

Cash stipends for the two runners-up in each borough -- $1,500 and $1,000, respectively – were also awarded.

The first place scholarships were given to:

Teresa Jackson, Tottenville High School, Staten Island: 
A Young Ambassador to the New York State Assembly and to US Senator Charles Schumer, representative to the SI Borough President’s Advisory Council, student president, Multicultural Leadership Council, and board member of the Council for Unity. Ms. Jackson will attend Wagner College in the fall where she plans to study marine biology.

Evn (Daniel) Kim, Flushing High School, Queens: President of the National Honor Society, AP Scholar, All-City High School Marching Band, president, Tri-M Music Honor Society and March of Dimes Student Senate. He will attend Cornell University in the fall where he hopes to study biometry and statistics.

Michelle Park, Brooklyn Technical High School: National Honor Society, Math team, captain of the girls varsity volleyball and ultimate Frisbee teams, reporter for the school newspaper and yearbook, and a student teacher for the United Methodist Korean Church of Astoria. She will enroll at New York University in the fall.

Fei Yan Mock, New York City Laboratory School, Manhattan: Holder of the New York City Lottery Scholarship, certificates of achievements from NYU and The Cooper Union, interpreter at Bellevue Hospital and tutor/volunteer in the Mini-Med School at Mount Sinai Hospital. She will attend Hunter College in the fall.

Michael Alexander Blake, De Witt Clinton High School, Bronx: Senior Class president, sports editor, school newspaper, Bronx All-America Choir, Bronx Academy of Arts and active in the Calvary United Methodist Church. He will enroll at Northwestern University in the fall.

"Each year we have done better, not only in the monies bestowed, but the quality of applicants," said Sanford (Sandy) Herman, CCANY scholarship chairman and the mainstay behind the program. "Add quantity as the program gets better known and you can easily see that the task of selecting winners has been exceedingly difficult. This stands as testament to the education these youngsters are getting in a first-rate school system."

CCANY/Travelers Express-Money Gram second place winners were:

Third place winners were:

CCANY represents over 600 check cashing stores in the Empire State. New York’s check cashers employ ever 4,000 residents statewide and cash checks with a face value nearing $14 billion. The maximum check cashing fee, regulated by the New York Department of Banking, is 1.4% of the face value -- the lowest rate in the nation.

FIFTH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP  WINNERS were feted at the eighth annual vendors show.  Seen here are (L-R) Phil Milne, CEO, Travelers Express-Money Gram: Gen Schott, vice president, Travelers Express-MoneyGram;  Michael A. Blake (DeWitt Clinton High School, Bronx); Michelle Park (Brooklyn Technical High School); Teresa Jackson (Tottenville High School, Staten Island); Evn (Daniel) Kim (Flushing High School, Queens); Sanford Herman, chairman, CCANY Scholarship committee; and Fei Yan Mock (The New York City Lab School, Manhattan).

BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT FERNANDO FERRER (far right) congratulates DeWitt Clinton High School senior Michael Blake on his first place achievement in the CCANY fifth annual scholarship competition.  Flanking Northwestern University-bound Mr. Blake are (L) Gene Schott, vice president, Travelers Express-Money Gram; and Sanford Herman, chairman, CCANY scholarship committee.

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Note:  Prior to May 2004, the Financial Service Centers of New York (FSCNY) was named the Check Cashers Association of New York (CCANY). Consequently, press releases and articles during that time period reflect the organization's CCANY name.