Two City Honors High School Students Awarded UB-Buffalo Partnership Program Scholarships

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Two Buffalo Public Schools students have been selected to receive scholarships to the University at Buffalo through the UB-Buffalo Partnership Scholars Program, giving them educational opportunities that they otherwise may not have been able to afford.

The two awardees are Madeleine Burns and Natalya Burgess, both graduates of City Honors High School. They will receive full tuition for up to four consecutive years of undergraduate study at UB, a yearly $600 book stipend and a laptop computer. The scholarships recognize outstanding students from the Buffalo Public Schools who excel both academically and civically through service to their communities.

A recognition reception was held for the scholarship winners recently on UB's South Campus. Those praising their accomplishments and speaking on their behalf included University at Buffalo President John B. Simpson and Superintendent of Buffalo Schools James A. Williams.

"It is my sincere hope and expectation that each of you, with your unique gifts and talents, will further strengthen our partnership with Buffalo Schools and find success in whatever pathway you choose to pursue," said Simpson.

Simpson congratulated the recipients' parents and teachers for encouraging the students' education and growth, and praised the awardees. Simpson's and William's remarks were followed by short speeches from current and past scholarship recipients.

"Receiving this scholarship means that my aspirations will not be limited by financial boundaries," said Burgess, a freshman biology major at UB who plans to move on to one of the country's 16 competitive accredited schools of optometry upon graduation from UB.

"The opportunity to take part in the UB Buffalo Partnership Scholar Program is one for which I am fantastically thankful," said Burns, who plans to major in communications at UB.

"The scholarship allows me to obtain an exceptional education, to appreciate an even broader view of what it means to serve, and to serve the community I love by encouraging academic advancement," Burns added.

UB BPSP recipients must maintain a 3.0 average throughout all four years of study to maintain the scholarship. They also most take part in UB's Leadership Certificate Program during their freshman and sophomore years. During their junior and senior years, recipients are required to work with the Center for Educational Collaboration, developing and presenting either a project or paper focused on community involvement.

Scholarship recipients are expected to engage in community service throughout their undergraduate experience, and to make significant contributions to their communities both during and following their graduation.

The UB BPSP program started in 2008, and was born of the partnership between UB and the Buffalo Public Schools. The partnership began in 2006 after Simpson and Williams both agreed that an increased interest and enrollment in the university from local high schools was a common goal that would benefit the Buffalo community. Six students from Buffalo Public Schools have benefited from the scholarship program since its inception. The program is managed by Teresa Barrett in UB's Center for Educational Collaboration.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.