Childhood Cancer Survivors Win Scholarships from The National Children’s Cancer Society

ST. LOUIS - Sept. 4, 2013 - PRLog -- SAINT LOUIS, MO – Thirty-eight students from across the United States have been awarded college scholarships totaling $102,500 from The National Children’s Cancer Society’s (NCCS) (http://www.thenccs.org/) Beyond the Cure Scholarship Program. (http://www.beyondthecure.org/scholarships)The program provides financial assistance to young adults as they move forward with their lives after cancer.

Applicants must be childhood cancer survivors living in the United States, under the age of 25 and diagnosed before the age of 18. The program is open to all childhood cancer survivors who currently attend or plan to attend an institution of higher education in the US.

“The NCCS recipients serve as role models for all of us in how to turn a challenge into something positive,” said Mark Stolze, president and CEO of the NCCS. “The Beyond the Cure Scholarship Program is a vehicle to help these individuals move forward in life in a meaningful way.”

To date, the scholarship program has awarded over $366,000 in scholarship money to childhood cancer survivors across the country. The NCCS is deeply grateful to the Aflac Foundation and BNSF Railway Foundation for their generous support of the program.

The 2013-2014 scholarship winners span the country and plan on attending a diverse group of schools in the upcoming academic year.

Following are this year's scholarship recipients, their hometown and the school they will be attending in 2013-2014.

Beyond the Cure Scholars:

Caitlin Adkins/Norton, VA/ University of Virginia

Elizabeth Allen/Norfolk, MA/ Brandeis University

Jackson Allison/Atascadero, CA/ University California-Berkeley

Cara Antonaccio/Long Valley, NJ/Penn State University

Rachael Avery/Charleston, SC/College of Charleston

Cassie Bess/Heavener, OK/Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Dean Brownworth/Merrick, NY/University of Massachusetts - Amherst

Joanne Chung/Holland, OH/Indiana University at Bloomington

Tyler Galvelis/Holland, PA/University of Pittsburgh

Kelsey Gillis/Scottsdale, AZ/Azusa Pacific University

Ciera Jones/Wake Forest, NC/Liberty University

Hyrum Judd/Glendale, AZ/Midwestern University

Neha Kundagrami/Gaithersburg, MD/University of Maryland-College Park

Melinda Marchiano/Nipomo, CA/Pepperdine University

Jacob Martell/Stillwater, MN/University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Chase  Meacham/Columbus,OH/Georgetown University

Benjamin Melancon/Eunice, LA/Mississippi College

Brian Moore/Cincinnati, OH/Manhattan School of Music

John Richey/Davidsonville, MD/Towson University

Adam Rose/Shelby, MI/Kettering University

Clarissa Schilstra/Ellicott City, MD/Duke University

Casey  Siljestro/Gainesville, FL/University of Florida

Rachel  Steele/Orem, UT/Utah Valley University

Megan Tapp/Dexter, MN/Wartburg College

Alexandra Timmer/Scottsdale, AZ/Truman State University

Jennifer Toth/Vienna, VA/University of  Pennsylvania

John "Jack" Wagner/Reedsville, PA/University of Southern California

Aflac Scholars:

Emmanuel Agyemang/ Savannah, GA/University of Georgia

Natasha Bear/Marietta, GA/George Washington University

Montana Brown/Thomasville, GA/Georgia Regents University

Allison Desoto/Marietta, GA/University of Georgia

Helena Exeni/Dalton, GA/University of West Georgia

Madison Merrifield/Winder, GA/Johnson & Wales University

Rikesia Phillips/College Park, GA/Clayton State University

Morgan Webster/Kingston, GA/Georgia Highlands College

BNSF Railway Scholars

Carolyn “Carrie” Hudson/Leawood, KS/Oklahoma State University

Shoshana Rudin/Madison, WI/University of Chicago

Kane Weinberg/Trenton, IL/Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Beyond the Cure (www.beyondthecure.org) was established to help childhood cancer survivors integrate the cancer experience into their lives.

The National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to improving the quality of life for children diagnosed with cancer and their families worldwide. For more information visit www.theNCCS.org.