The Carson Scholars Fund awards 500 college scholarships yearly to nominated students from across the United States. Mount Mercy Academy is proud to announce that sophomore Vayana Stoyanova of Gowanda is one of the recipients for this year.
The Carson Scholars Fund, Inc. was established in 1994 by world-renowned John Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgeon Benjamin S. Carson and his wife Candy in response to a study they had read that noted that United States students ranked 21 out of 22 countries in math and science. They felt compelled to respond to this crisis in education and established the Scholars Fund. They established the fund based on the premise that if children were taught early to excel in school, they would remain motivated and thus have a higher chance of educational success later in life.
Schools from across the country are eligible to nominate students and 500 winners are selected and receive a $1,000 college scholarship. The awards were initiated in 1996 and are granted to students who excel academically and are dedicated to serving their communities. In addition to the monetary award, scholarship winners also receive the prestige of being named a Carson Scholar and are presented with an Olympic-sized medal and a trophy for their school.
Stoyanova is an honor student who takes advanced classes and is extremely active in activities at Mount Mercy. She is a member of the school newspaper, Sparks Music Ensemble, and Speech and Drama, to name just a few. She is also a willing and active volunteer at the school, serving as a student ambassador, a member of the school’s YouTube announcements team and an active participant in planning and reading at school prayer services and liturgies.
