Will to Win: Merck Scholarship Supports Students' Ambitions

By admin at August 10, 2011 | 8:42 pm | Print

(NAPSI)—Between academics, athletics, and after-school activities,
high school can place a lot of demands on today's teens. Add a chronic
condition like asthma to the mix, as one in six high school students say they
do, and it's that much harder for teens to reach their goals
rationally, in sports and while pursuing their passions in the arts and in
their communities.

To celebrate their accomplishments and recognize the hurdles they've
overcome to reach them, 10 students from across the country are rewarded for
their success each year through Merck's Will to Win Scholarship
Program. The scholarships recognize high school seniors with asthma who excel
in academics, the the theater arts, visual arts, community service, athletics
and science.

One particularly remarkable example of such success is Victoria Petry of Corbin,
Ky., who was one of the
scholarship recipients in 2010. Petry was always
interested in singing and the theater arts, and she had a knack for taking an audience's
breath away. When diagnosed with asthma at age 9, but, she started to
notice the effects of her asthma while involved in plays at school. Despite
this, she remained dedicated to the theater and overcame the challenges
associated with her asthma.

Today, Petry is an accomplished actress who has
performed in numerous musicals and additional plays, including "The Wizard
of Oz," "Ciao Dolly," and "The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe." She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in
the theater arts at StephensCollege in Columbia,
Mo., and she is using the Will
to Win scholarship to help pay her tuition.

"I really want to do theater after I end college—I'd
like to direct or do something technical," Petry
said. "This opportunity gave me the drive to keep pursuing my goal. It
was kind of a mental pick-me-up to receive financial support for my drive to
be an artist."

Petry said she has also considered returning to
her hometown and opening a theater there to give the art form back to her
community.

"The funds Merck provided through the Will to Win Scholarship have
made funding my college education much simpler," Petry
said. "I'm very grateful for the support and I highly recommend
eligible students apply for it."

This fall, $50,000 in scholarships will be awarded to 10 students. All
scholarship winners will be required to supply documentation of U.S.
citizenship, acceptance into an accredited college and enrollment in college
for the fall 2011 semester.

To apply for the Will to Win Scholarship, students should review the
information, applications and entry rules at www.willtowinscholarship.com.

Article source: http://www.napsnet.com/articles/65673.html

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Will to Win: Merck Scholarship Supports Students' Ambitions