Hartford Business Journal

46 Hartford Business Journal • November 22, 2016 www.HartfordBusiness.com Education opens doors to almost limitless future possibilities. For many Greater Hartford students, however, those doors are closed. Despite their remarkable talents and abilities and their lofty ambitions, such students are held back by limited financial resources. With the support of the Greater Hartford community, WALKS provides these young people with scholarship dollars that allow them to receive a superb secondary education, preparing them to reach their full potential today and in the future. Now in its 60th year, WALKS has started nearly 400 young men and women on the path to making names for themselves in the fields of medicine, law, science, finance, information technology and politics among others. Your help in funding these scholarships has a direct and lasting impact on the students, their families and the Greater Hartford community as a whole. Can you change a life by supporting the WALKS scholarship fund? Visit our website www.walksfoundation.org for more information. An overview of WALKS programs: • The Named Scholars Program uses leadership gifts of $5,000 or more to support one or more individual Scholars bearing the name of the sponsoring family, foundation or corporation. • The Barnes Service Award is presented annually to one student from each school who demonstrates exemplary volunteer service above and beyond expectations both on and off campus. • The WALKS Scholars Luncheon is held annually in October to introduce current scholarship recipients to donors and other interested individuals, highlighting how these scholarships have impacted their educational achievements and future goals. • The WALKS Constitution Essay Contest is an interscholastic contest held each spring among the five schools to encourage the study of the U.S. Constitution through research papers. An interactive awards program is held annually in April, including a discussion of the research topic among the students and a volunteer contest judge. Named Scholars Program The WALKS Foundation and the WALKS Scholars are particularly grateful to the following donors who have provided leadership gifts of $5,000 to $20,000 to support one or more individual scholarship recipients bearing the name of their sponsor. This generous investment in the education and future of the WALKS Scholars is opening up remarkable opportunities that lead to long-term success. Sponsors have the opportunity to build a personal relationship with the students they support and follow the students' achievements at the WALKS schools and beyond. The Barnes Foundation, Inc. FIP Construction, Inc. The Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund Mr. John Gummere The Imagineers Foundation The Koopman Field of Interest Fund Hal & Eileen Kraus The Sorenson Pearson Family Heads of School at the five WALKS Schools 60 Years of service creating opportunities for Greater Hartford youths 99 Percent of WALKS Scholars attend a four-year college or university 90+ Percent of WALKS Scholars are students of color 16 Business leaders volunteer on the WALKS Advisory Board to assist the Heads of Schools 100 Percent of WALKS Scholars have a proven financial need 15 Current WALKS Scholars: 7 boys and 8 girls from Hartford and nearby towns 375+ Students' lives have been changed by our generous donors " " Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. – Nelson Mandela

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