SUCCESS STORIES
Tenzin Choklang, 24, and Regina Dorch, 53, from LaGuardia’s Adult Basic Skills (ABS) Program are winners of the 2019 Peter Jennings Scholarship Laurel Award.*
As a child, Tenzin lived in a Tibetan refugee camp in India before coming to New York with his family at the age of 12. As a young adult, he wanted to get his life on track and enrolled in the ABS Program, earned his high school equivalency diploma, and enrolled at LaGuardia as a computer science major. In his first semester, he earned a 3.89 GPA.
Regina had been an employee of Pathmark Supermarkets for 22 years when she received word that her store would be closing and she’d be out of a job. Knowing she had to improve her prospects, she enrolled in the ABS Program and after three tries finally passed the exam to earn her high school equivalency diploma. With hopes to one day own a business, she enrolled at LaGuardia as a business administration major and has earned a 4.0 GPA in her first semester.
Congratulations to these students on their hard work and achievements!
*The Peter Jennings Scholarship Laurel Award, named after the famous journalist who dropped out of high school and later earned a high school equivalency diploma, is given annually to up to 10 students who have overcome hardship to earn their high school equivalency certificate from a CUNY adult literacy/high school equivalency program and who plan to continue their education at a CUNY college. Students must be nominated by a teacher or staff member and provide a personal essay describing their journey to college. Winners each receive a $1,000 scholarship towards their CUNY college education.
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