Troy, N.Y.-Students from the Cohoes, Green Island, Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, and Troy school districts were presented with Fortitude Awards from the Rensselaer Alliance to Increase Student Excellence (RAISE) program at a conference Wednesday, March 12.

Created in September 1999 with a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education's GEAR UP education initiative, RAISE helps prepare low-income students from the six districts for college by offering after-school, weekend, and summer learning programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hudson Valley Community College, and Russell Sage College. It also provides financial planning services for parents expecting hefty tuition bills.

The Fortitude Awards honor participating high school students who - through their own sheer determination and ambition - succeeded in one or more of their subjects this year.

"These students have truly excelled this year in their schooling," said Mark Smith, dean of students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and coordinator of RAISE programs through the university. "We at Rensselaer congratulate them on all of their successes and hope to continue to see them on campus in the future."

"The conference committee wanted to recognize students in our 10th grade classes who proved that they could reach high academic standards," said Joan Kruegler, RAISE project director. "The entire community is really proud of these award recipients."

The 2003 Fortitude Award recipients include Jennifer DiNova from Troy High; Dan Brown, Kristen Houle, and Dylan Passeretti from Cohoes High; Catherine Demetros, Aala Downs, Shantell Sampson, Jamie Sherman, and Samantha Soto from Lansingburgh High; George Murtha and Lee McCarthy from Green Island's Heatly High; and David Mooney from Rensselaer High.

The students received the honor following the conference at a dinner ceremony at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Heffner Alumni House. Each winner received a gift certificate given out by "Big Ray," a morning show personality from the Capital Region's Fly 92 radio station.

Contact: Caroline Jenkins
Phone: (518) 276-6531
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