Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation scholarship winners show off their awards with Chancellor Klein and Foundation CEO Joel Peresman
Famous musicians aren’t the only ones recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This week, five New York City high school seniors won scholarships from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation Scholarship Fund and were honored at the Department of Education’s headquarters.
The five scholarship recipients, each from a different borough, won money that will help them pursue careers related to music.
“This scholarship is meaningful to me because it was given to me for my passion,” Daniella Soba, a student at Celia Cruz High School of Music in the Bronx, said. “Without this scholarship, I would not be able to go to Syracuse University.”
Daniella is a saxophonist and wants to be a teacher one day.
The students, chosen based on essays and financial need, will each be awarded $5,000 that they can put toward their college educations. This week, the winners received their awards from Chancellor Klein and the CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, Joel Peresman.
Robyn Koenigsberg, who attends Tottenville High School in Staten Island, said music has played a significant role in her life, helping her to overcome her learning disabilities.
“Music has helped me to learn a variety of lessons,” she said.
Other winners include Julie Engel of the Queens High School of Teaching, Jessica Gomez of Norman Thomas High School in Manhattan, and Kristopher Tyndall of Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn. Nearly fifty students applied for the scholarship.
“I’ve seen thousands of scholarship applications, but this year’s applicants rose to the top,” the DOE’s Director of Music, Barbara Murray, said. “The maturity, selflessness, and passion they displayed was breathtaking.”
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