ScholarGamers.com Finalists Face Final Round at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort
For 15 high school students, the daunting prospect of paying for higher education is about to get easier. More details after the jump.
As the finalists in the first round of ScholarGamers.com competition, they will travel to Disney’s Boardwalk Resort January 14-16 and face-off in a series of online games to win up to $10,000 in scholarship money. This innovative online program leverages American students’ favorite leisure activity – video games – for a chance to earn money to pay for college, ScholarGamers.com launched in November 2010 with a mission of helping students tackle escalating educational costs by providing scholarships to winners of various online game competitions.
The finalists represent a broad cross-section of American students united in their desire to further their education and in their love of games:
| Student | Age | School | Hometown |
| Eric Martina | 17 | Waubonsie Valley High School | Aurora IL |
| Erik Leiden | 17 | Avon Lake High School | Avon Lake OH |
| Nicole Ferguson | 16 | Dexter High School | Dexter MI |
| Thidarhod Tep | 17 | Westfield High School | Houston TX |
| Clifton O’Malley | 18 | Red Bank Regional High School | Little Silver NJ |
| Patrick Moore | 17 | Red Bank Regional High School | Little Silver NJ |
| William Ferguson | 17 | Red Bank Regional High School | Little Silver NJ |
| Michael Peven | 17 | Monroe High School | Monroe MI |
| Tyler Hensley | 17 | Monroe High School | Monroe MI |
| Thomas Smith | 18 | Naperville North High School | Naperville IL |
| Michael Marks | 18 | Sheboygan Area Lutheran High School | Sheboygan WI |
| Andrew Kamp | 17 | Red Bank Regional High School | Shrewsbury NJ |
| Christopher Prestol | 17 | Union City High School | Union City NJ |
| Charles Coombs Esmail | 18 | Home school | Whitehall PA |
| Dylan Phillips | 17 | Montoursville Area High School | Williamsport PA |
“The problem of skyrocketing educational costs can be managed if we all commit to developing creative solutions,” said Angelo Tartaro, founder and CEO, ScholarGamers.com. “We’re pleased to be able to make a difference for this initial group of students, and we look forward to opening up more opportunities for educational funding as ScholarGamers.com evolves in the coming months.”
Continuing its mission, ScholarGamers.com kicks off its next regular scholarship round on January 1, awarding ten scholarships in a month-long competition and expanding its audience to include college students. Any high school, trade school or college student aged 13 and up is eligible to register for the competition at ScholarGamers.com.
ScholarGamers.com scholarships are deposited into a 529 plan for each designated winner. Competitors are only eligible to win once. ScholarGamers.com plans to award more than 100 scholarships in 2011.
About ScholarGamers.com
ScholarGamers.com is an innovative platform offering students, ages 13 and above, a chance to compete for educational scholarships through no-fee online games. Developed as a response to escalating educational costs, ScholarGamers.com’s secure environment fosters a sense of pride, accomplishment and fun. The site is a sponsor-supported initiative developed by Holmdel, NJ-based Internet Sport Games Associates. For more information, please visit http://www.scholargamers.com/about-us. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
