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Achievement Foundation awards Boston Junior Achievement Student Sweeny Scholarship |
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NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release BOSTON JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT STUDENT RECEIVES NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE ACHIEVEMENT FOUNDATION Colorado Springs, Colo. - Junior Achievement announced today that Oyinkansola "Sola" Ayobiojo, a 17 year-old student from Boston Latin School in Boston, Mass., has been awarded the Hugh B. Sweeny Achievement Award by the Achievement Foundation, Inc. The Sweeny scholarship – $5,000 towards tuition costs at any accredited college or university – is awarded annually to a graduating high school senior who has completed JA Company Program™ or JA Economics™, which are two of Junior Achievement's K-12 entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy programs. The student receiving the scholarship must demonstrate academic achievement, leadership skills and financial need, and show how they have impacted a community through entrepreneurship.
Miss Ayobiojo’s success did not come without adversity, however. When she was a young child, her family lived in Nigeria where her father was a respected physician. Tragically, he was murdered in front of the family's home when Oyinkansola was about five years old. Afraid for the safety of her three children, Oyinkansola's mother moved her family to the United States. She worked to put herself through college and became a schoolteacher. This fall, Oyinkansola will attend the University of Pennsylvania-Wharton Business School majoring in business, and plans to get her MBA and work for a Fortune 500 company. The recommendation letters submitted with Miss Ayobiojo’s scholarship application all make a point of praising her leadership ability, desire to learn, self-motivation, work ethic, confidence, and poise. "Oyinkansola’s success powerfully demonstrates the impact that Junior Achievement programs can have on a young person’s life," said Dave Eustis, president of Junior Achievement of Eastern Massachusetts. "The skills that students like Oyinkansola learn—such as leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork—will serve her well in college and beyond. We are thrilled to help Oyinkansola achieve her goal of a college education through the Sweeny Award." Miss Ayobiojo added, "I’m honored to be named as the 2008 winner of the Sweeny Award. As I graduate from high school and begin attending college, I know that I will continually draw upon the valuable knowledge that I gained from Junior Achievement programs, and that it will motivate me to continue to strive for excellence." The Hugh B. Sweeny Achievement Award is named after Hugh B. "Jim" Sweeny, who served Junior Achievement for 32 years, and dedicated his life to the organization. His major accomplishments as national program director include expanding the National Junior Achievers Conference from 60 participants in 1948 to more that 3,000 delegates in 1977. The Sweeny Award is presented by the Achievement Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a better understanding of the free enterprise system by young people. A photo of Miss Ayobiojo is available upon request. About JA Worldwide® (Junior Achievement) About The Achievement Foundation, Inc. -30-
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Oyinkansola's impressive academic and extracurricular accomplishments include a 4.23 grade point average, membership in the National Honor Society, two years on her school's yearbook staff, serving as president of the school's African Culture Society, volunteering in the school's guidance office and library, tutoring other students after school and serving as Human Resources Vice President of her Junior Achievement Academy student company.
