Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Awards More than $41,000 in College Scholarships to Students Impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease
High School Seniors Shared Their Experiences with Alzheimer’s for National Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Competition
(July 17, 2020)— The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America recently awarded more than $41,000 in college scholarships to 59 high school students from across the country who were chosen as winners in AFA’s annual Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest. AFA has awarded nearly $300,000 in college scholarships since the competition began in 2008.
Approximately 2,000 students entered the competition, which asks high school seniors to describe how Alzheimer’s disease has impacted their lives and what they have learned about themselves and their families in the face of this disease. The heartfelt stories detailed the emotions, challenges and lessons learned for caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, volunteering or working at a care setting or raising Alzheimer’s awareness in their community.
“Each winner shared profound personal experiences about how Alzheimer’s affected their lives, and the courage, love and optimism they brought to their situation was extraordinarily moving. Their eagerness to make a difference in the world and help those affected by Alzheimer’s disease is truly inspiring,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and chief executive officer. “We congratulate these amazing students on earning these college scholarships and thank all the participants in this year’s contest for telling their stories.”
The 2020 AFA Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest Winners are:
First Place ($5,000):
- Pilar Elaine Carson- Bend, OR
Second Place ($2,500):
- Emma Civello- Southampton, MA
Third Place ($1,500):
- Connor Bramhall- Wilmington, DE
Runners-Up ($1,000)
- Jessie Carlisle- Anchorage, AK
- Abella Glorfield- Santa Cruz, CA
- Sierra Madden- Harrisville, RI
- Benjamin McGowan- New Egypt, NJ
- Ashley McRae- Bolingbrook, IL
- Ayush Noori- Issaquah, WA
- Alejandra Paige- Geneseo, NY
Runners-Up ($750)
- Mairead Burke – Downers Grove, IL
- Morgan Douglas – Brighton, IL
- Olivia Green – Cary, IL
- Rebekah Harry – Chicago, IL
- Johanna Hartke – Marion, IA
- Molly McCormick – Dexter, MI
- Travis Nolan – Richardson, TX
- Diana Parker – Dresden, TN
- Faith Selenske – Fort Collins, CO
- Heba Shaikh – Chantilly, VA
- Sharhana Shrestha – Elkhorn, NE
- Serene Thompkins – Newark, DE
- Annabella Wiles – Lawrence, KS
- Lauren Woolley – Easton, PA
Runners-Up ($500)
- Halla Brill – Corning, NY
- Jordan Burke – Cincinnati, OH
- Jurgis Daugela – Bloomington, MN
- Emelia Keim – Moscow, ID
- Paige Magee – Monroe Township, NJ
- Julia Papp – Downers Grove, IL
- Maddie Putnam – Decorah, IA
- Alexandra Schultz – Berthoud, CO
- John Soeder – Mentor, OH
- Camden Sutherland – Fayetteville, GA
- Georgia Turpin – Harrodsburg, KY
- Sydney Vickery – Walhalla, SC
- Sophia Zalewski – Piedmont, CA
Honorable Mention ($400)
- Grace Bradley – Lisle, IL
- Hannah Caudill – Keller, TX
- Sydney Crowley – Tewksbury, MA
- Christopher D’Accordo – Brooklyn, NY
- Malik Fountain – Olympia Fields, IL
- Patrick Hart – Alexandria, VA
- Emma Hassfurther – Ferdinand, IL
- Clara-Rosa Hertzog – Milton, DE
- Adalynn Joy – Meeker, CO
- Grace Kellerman – Poway, CA
- Emilee Magill – North Prairie, WI
- Luke Makshanoff – San Clemente, CA
- Bailee Marez – Yorktown, TX
- Tawni Parrish – Reno, NV
- Matthew Pearson – Boynton Beach, FL
- Isaac Petrella – Clarence, NY
- Samantha Senger – Minot, ND
- Paige Sheridan – Quakertown, PA
- Jacob Slocum – Springwater, NY
- Madeleine Smith – Tampa, FL
- Faith Taylor – Bear, DE
- Baylee Wojcik – Windber, PA
For more information about the Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest and other AFA programs and services, or to make a donation in support of them, please visit www.alzfdn.org or call 866-232-8484.
