Eighth Graders Earn College Scholarships

Five eighth graders have each earned $500 college scholarships, courtesy of the Lyman W. and Nancy E. Lough Eighth Grade Scholarship Fund.

The awards go to students with a minimum GPA of 2.0, good citizenship and a potential for future success. The winners traditionally are students who are beating the odds and continuing to learn despite tough circumstances such as a disability, a difficult home life or other challenges.

The winners and their schools are Mecca Barker, Robinson; Damian Farquhar, Nelson; Veely Kearn, Jefferson; Swheedyn Nwankwo, Stanford; and Justice White, Lindbergh. 

Each year, five eighth-grade students are selected as scholarship winners, with $100 per year added during each year in high school for a total of $500 by the time the student enters college.

As part of the Lough Awards, an additional $180-per-year scholarship from the Frangesch Memorial Fund went to student Sharlyne Peña of Stephens. 

The selection criteria for the Frangesch Award are the same as those used for the Lough Awards. Both awards are administered through the Long Beach Education Foundation.