SEVERAL GIRLS EARN SCHOLARSHIPS

Herald staff

The Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship program awarded $351,600 in scholarships to 75 high school seniors representing almost every high school in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The group presented the awards were during its sixth annual graduation celebration held at Parrot Jungle on May 11.

The winners included Yeni Hobart of Hialeah High School.

Founded by television journalist Jennifer Valoppi and Telemundo President/CEO Don Browne, the mentoring program is in its seventh year and is the only one of its kind in the nation.

It matches accomplished professional women with at-risk high school girls to help enhance and enrich their lives through mentoring and education.

More than 175 women in South Florida are on the mentor roster.

More than 135 of the 350 graduating seniors who are in program applied for scholarships from one of the eight funds available through the program.

A selection committee selected the winners based on criteria such as the student's level of involvement with school and community activities and grade improvements while enrolled in the program.

The awards to the 75 winners the total scholarship value given by the organization to more than $500,000, according to a publicity statement from the group.

Award sponsors included the George Feldenkreis & Mariita Srebnick Scholarship Fund, St. Thomas University Scholarship, Victor Posner Foundation Education Fund, Fran & Mel Harris Scholarship Fund, Broward Education Foundation Matching Fund, DeVry University Scholarship, HCA Nursing Scholarship and North Broward Hospital District Nursing & Radiology Scholarship.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: Hialeah High School student Yeni Hobart, left, receives a $2,500 Women of Tomorrow scholarship from the group's Hialeah High School Coordinator Patricia Robinson.