Three local students beat the odds to earn $5K scholarships

Three Windsor-Essex teens have earned $5,000 scholarships each for persevering through adversity while maintaining good grades. The Horatio Alger Association of Canada is awarding $5,000 scholarships to Karl Zhu from Vincent Massey Secondary School, Heather Toma of St. Joseph’s Catholic High School and Cylee Hickey from Kingsville District High School.

The Horatio Alger Association of Canada, a charitable organization that believes hard work, honesty and determination can overcome obstacles, is giving a total of $900,000 in scholarships to 170 students across Canada this year. Ten students will receive $10,000 and 160 students will be awarded Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarships of $5,000 each.

The scholarships are awarded annually to deserving high school students in financial need who have overcome significant obstacles while showing strength of character, strong academics, and a desire to pursue post-secondary education and contribute to society.

The association gets its name from the popular American author Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832-1899) who wrote many books with a rags-to-riches theme. The Canadian association started in 2009 and is an affiliate of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.

Since 2012, the Canadian association said it has given out more than $5.1 million in scholarships.

The association receives applications from across the country from students who have faced a variety of difficult circumstances from homelessness to the death of a parent and yet maintained high grades. The association said the average recipient maintains a 89 per cent average.