The Green Family Foundation and Firstrust Bank recently awarded 24 high school seniors from Greater Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley with $365,000 in college scholarships at the 54th annual Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program ceremony.

The Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program, one of the region’s most renowned high school scholarship programs, granted two-year college scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $12,500 per year to community-minded seniors who crafted personal essays about how they will leverage their education to substantially impact their communities.

Samuel Green, founder of Firstrust Bank, believed in the importance of receiving a college education and using it to give back to the community. These values have served as core pillars for the bank for nearly 90 years and the foundation since its inception in 2005. The Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program honors young people in the region who reflect these principles.

“The Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program is more than just an investment in education, it’s an investment in the future of our community and a testament to the enduring legacy of my grandfather and Firstrust’s founder, Samuel A. Green,” said Richard Green, Executive Chairman of Firstrust Bank’s Board of Directors and Trustee of the Green Family Foundation.

“The program continues to grow year after year, allowing us to more meaningfully support the educational pursuits of highly qualified students in our community. This year, we’ve awarded a total $365,000 in two-year scholarships, the most significant level of support in the program’s history.”

The 24 SAG Scholars were celebrated in a ceremony at the Firstrust Bank Club at the Philadelphia Eagles stadium on May 16. Nearly 450 students applied for the scholarships this year.

Recipients were selected based on their written responses to a topic that is rooted in the mission of the foundation — “How will you use your college education to make a substantial impact in your community?” — and a letter of recommendation attesting to their demonstrated leadership.

G.W. Carver High School of Engineering and Science student Trevor Gardner, Germantown Academy student Samuel H. Wang, and The Baldwin School student Wanying “Emily” Zhang were the recipients of two-year scholarships totaling $25,000 each.

The following students earned two-year scholarships totaling $20,000:

• Faith Wen-Chien Hauger, Science Leadership Academy at Beeber
• Emma Catherine Main, Delaware Valley Friends School
• Payton L. Sewards, Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
• Mahliat Tamrat, Episcopal Academy
• Charlotte Elizabeth Walder, Odyssey Charter High School

The following students earned two-year scholarships totaling $15,000:

• Anna Marie Kasper, Middletown High School
• Elizabeth Anne Morgan, Woodstown High School
• Ashiyana J. Patel, Concord High School
• Hae Paw, Academy at Palumbo
• Abiche Schlosberg, Pennsbury High School
• Jennifer Tran, Central High School

The following students earned two-year scholarships totaling $10,000:

• Nathan H. Cho, Conrad Schools of Science
• Knyla DelValle, Salisbury High School
• Gabrielle Marie Greene, Springfield Township High School
• Kaia Sharae Hall, Avon Grove Charter School
• Eric Ke, George School
• Aditi Mangal, Spring-Ford Area High School
• Sameeksha Panda, Methacton High School
• Erineah Ling Quan, Liberty High School
• Vyoma Samant, Great Valley High School
• Belle Zou, Downingtown STEM Academy

In addition to their scholarships, each student was presented a “swag bag,” which included a sweatshirt from the college or university they will be attending and a framed version of their winning essay.

The Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program has helped the Green Family Foundation and Firstrust Bank award more than $1.5 million to nearly 1,500 local college-bound students and families in the past 54 years.

Learn more about Firstrust Bank.