Alumni Association welcomes 30 Medallion Scholars, debuts new 'Sparky' plate video
The Arizona State University Alumni Association recently welcomed 30 incoming ASU freshmen into the Medallion Scholarship Program, the Alumni Association’s signature scholarship initiative that incorporates components of leadership, scholarship and service. The scholars were honored with a dinner at Old Main on the Tempe campus on April 24, an event that also featured the debut of a new video featuring ASU’s official collegiate license plate, which funds the scholarship.
Medallion Scholars receive four-year, renewable scholarships of $3,000 annually, provided they actively participate in a mentorship program, contribute volunteer hours to the Alumni Association, maintain a satisfactory grade point average, and remain in good standing as an ASU undergraduate.
This year’s class of Medallion Scholars, who are projected to graduate in 2017, includes:
• Amina Aden, Marcos de Niza High School, Tempe
• Alexandra Arnieri, Red Mountain High School, Mesa
• Megan Baker, Arcadia High School, Phoenix
• Mariah Brown, Cibola High School, Yuma
• Brooklyn Castellanos, Boulder Creek High School, Anthem
• Morgan Dick, Mountain Pointe High School, Phoenix
• Brenan Edwards, Ironwood Ridge High School, Oro Valley
• Blanca Encinas, Willow Canyon High School, Surprise
• Kelsey Files, Seton Catholic Preparatory High School, Chandler
• Erica Garcia, Highland High School, Gilbert
• Hunter Hinton, Prescott High School, Prescott
• Zachary Kopecky, Higley High School, Gilbert
• Sonia Malek, Tempe Preparatory Academy, Tempe
• Havell Matkus, Bioscience High School, Phoenix
• Samantha Muller, Mountain Pointe High School, Phoenix
• Brianna Osman, Hamilton High School, Chandler
• Victoria Ramsey, Sandra Day O'Connor High School, Phoenix
• Brandy Reed, Dobson High School, Mesa
• Jennie Rhiner, Arizona School for the Arts, Phoenix
• Alan Rodriguez, Carl Hayden Community High School, Phoenix
• Jelissa Ruis, University High School, Tucson
• Lauren Schaecher, Arcadia High School, Phoenix
• Samantha Siers, Estrella Mountain High School, Avondale
• Kevin Spillman, Prescott High School, Prescott
• Jason St. Clair, Antelope Union High School, Wellton
• Emma Li Thompson, Foothills Academy, Scottsdale
• Tanguy Toulouse, Mountain Pointe High School, Phoenix
• Sarah Whetzel, Willow Canyon High School, Surprise
• Thomas Whitten, Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix
• Taylor Wiley, Sunnyslope High School, Phoenix
More than 100 students currently receive the scholarship. During the most recent academic year, Medallion scholars received $300,000 in financial support, most of it coming from individual donations and from a portion of license plate fees paid to the state of Arizona. Vehicle owners with a “Sparky” plate – ASU’s official collegiate license plate issued by the state Motor Vehicle Division – pay $25 annually for their plates, and $17 from each license plate sold supports the Medallion Scholarship Program.
A new video for Sparky license plates debuted at the April 24 dinner. Produced in collaboration with ASU’s Parking and Transit Services, the 55-second video features the Sparky the Sun Devil mascot, current ASU students, alumni and a very enthusiastic Sun Devil dog. The commercial can be viewed online at the Sparky plate web page at http://alumni.asu.edu/services/sparky-plates.
Reconstituted in 2006, the Medallion Scholarship Program was born out of the Alumni Association’s previous Medallion of Merit Scholarship. The original scholarship program traced its beginnings to the 1960s and provided merit-based financial assistance to thousands of students from across the state.
For more information on the Medallion Scholarship Program, visit alumni.asu.edu/medallion. To learn more about the "Sparky" plate program or purchase a plate, visit www.sparkyplates.com.