Broward League of Cities Awards $1,000 Scholarships to Four Students Pursuing Government Careers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (April 16, 2010) – As the school year ends and many high school seniors are busy planning for college and grappling with financial costs, four deserving students received a little help from The Broward League of Cities which awarded $1,000 scholarships to four students interested in studying political or government-related majors on April 15.

“It is exciting to see these bright students awarded for their hard work in high school and given financial assistance to pursue their dreams in college,” said Cooper City Mayor Debby Eisinger, chair of the Broward League of Cities Education Committee.

Broward County high school seniors from public schools, including charter schools, who plan to pursue a major in public administration, political science or other government-related fields submitted applications for the four individual scholarships. Four outstanding candidates received $1,000 for the Florida college or university of their choice:

• Rafael Batista of Davie – Pembroke Pines Charter School
• Aporajita Ali of Davie – Western High School
• Justin Permenter of Pompano Beach – Pompano Beach High School
• Joshua Solomon of Coral Springs – Coral Glades High School
• Shane Bryan of Tamarac (alternate) – Coral Springs Charter High School

“I’m very pleased, particularly in these difficult economic times, that we were able to revive our scholarship program through the generous charitable donations from many city officials as well as the League’s Associate business members and supporters,” stated Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick, president of the Broward League of Cities.

The Broward League of Cities, a non-partisan, non-profit organization comprised of elected officials from Broward’s 31 municipal governments, sponsors the scholarship program as an incentive for students dreaming of pursuing political careers. The scholarships were made possible thanks to the generous personal contributions of elected officials and several League of Cities Associate Members.

“[I] want to spend my life learning how the social world works and why, using this knowledge to help humanity live better and create interest in the pursuit so that others may be inspired to do the same,” wrote scholarship recipient Joshua Solomon for his application. In the fall, he will attend the Honors Program at Stetson University to study political science.

The Broward League of Cities is dedicated to supporting education through several committees and its Board of Directors that advocate for and monitor municipal, school board, and state issues and concerns. During the reception, City officials and business Members of the League contributed to the ‘Showcase of Excellence’ where cities displayed information about educational partnerships and programs in their communities.

“In addition to our Scholarship Program, League members devote their time and effort to opening the lines of communications and working with residents, Broward County, the Broward County School Board as well as State and Federal legislators to resolve issues facing our students and teachers,” said Resnick. “It is imperative we work collaboratively to support education in South Florida.”

The Broward League of Cities is a non-partisan, non-profit organization comprised of elected officials from Broward County’s 31 municipal governments including a Broward County representative. Chartered in 1957, the organization is a voluntary association which now serves over 1.7 million residents and more than 80 associate government, non-profit and business organizations throughout the County. The Broward League of Cities is dedicated to increasing awareness and providing resolutions to issues that affect day-to-day operations at the county, state, and federal levels. Read more at http://www.browardleague.org.