Scholarships awarded to 5 Port Richmond HS students

By: Diane Lore, SILive.com
July 1, 2010

STATEN ISLAND, NY - PORT RICHMOND - Topping off the school year and their high-school careers on a sweet note, five Port Richmond High School graduates walked away with a total of $6,000 in scholarships donated by the Port Richmond High School Alumni Association.

The awards of $1,200 each, went to Kinza Bukhari, Matthew M. Feldman, Jenna Jankowski, Chia Chou Pan and Giuliana M. Spinelli.

The scholarships were presented during a ceremony and reception June 9 in the school's Red Raider Cafe. Alumni Association President John Jankowski, Class of 1979, called the occasion "one of the best days of the year for me."

Jankowski said the college scholarships have been a tradition since the alumni association was chartered in 1986. Seniors must apply for the gifts by writing an essay and submitting their transcript and SAT scores, as well as three faculty recommendations. This year's winners were selected from among 18 applicants.

The scholarship program is funded through alumni dues, donations and fund-raising activities throughout the year.

"We congratulate our winners, and we're proud to have them represent Port Richmond High School in the community and as they embark on their college careers." Jankowski said.

Miss Bukhari is the daughter of Nafila Aman and Syed Bukhari. Her cumulative grade point average is 101.19 and she is ranked second in her class. She served as her class salutatorian during Friday's graduation ceremony at Wagner College.

She received a combined score of 1200 on the SAT and has participated in Port Richmond's "Gateway to Higher Education" honors program since her freshman year. She will be attending Brandeis University to study neurology, with the idea of becoming a researcher or a neurosurgeon. Her goal is to help bring quality medical care to impoverished people and improve their quality of life.

Feldman is the son of Robin and Bruce Feldman. His cumulative grade-point average is 97.9 and he is ranked seventh in his class. His combined SAT scores totaled 1100, and he also participated in the school's "Gateway to Higher Education" honors program. He will be attending the State University of New York at Buffalo and majoring in architecture, with an emphasis on industrial design. His goal is to create structures that will benefit every-day lives of people.

Miss Jankowski is the daughter of Diane and Alumni president John Jankowski. Her cumulative average is 97.6 and she ranks 12th in her class. Her combined SAT score is 1190. She's participated in the school's Collegiate Academy honors program since her freshman year, and has been accepted into the Macaulay Honors College at the College of Staten Island. She plans to major in political science and has expressed an interest in someday running for political office.

Pan is the son of Lee Tsun Pan and Chen Hwa Pan. His cumulative average is 102.9 and his combined SAT score is 1230. He is number one in his graduating class, and was his class valedictorian during commencement last week.

He too, was a member of the Collegiate Academy honors program since freshman year. He will attend Babson College in Massachusetts where he will study business with an emphasis on applied statistics and accounting. His goal is to own a business that deals with environmental protection, alternative energy sources, and emissions trading.

Miss Spinelli is the daughter of Josephine Blumenfeld and Antonio Spinelli. She is ranked 15th in her class and has a cumulative average of 95.9. She also was a member of the Collegiate Academy. Her combined SAT score is 1120. She has been accepted into the University of Connecticut's Academic Center for Exploratory Students as a pre-teaching major. She plans to become a high-school math teacher.

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