Society of Martha Washington awards Patriot Scholarships

The Society of Martha Washington recently named nine local high school students as the 2005 recipients of Patriot Scholarships to attend Presidential Classroom in Washington , DC .

The students are Jacqueline Ender and José Flavio Robles from United Technology and Engineering Magnet High School , and Bernardo Ramirez, Hector Alonzo, Jennifer Martinez, Alana Taylor, Christopher Bustamante, Angelique Snyder, and Lorena Buendia from St. Augustine High School .

“The interests and experiences of these students ranged from academics, music, athletics, Eucharistic ministry, and even being part of the workforce,” said Rebecca Wise, outgoing president of the Society of Martha Washington. “These scholars represent a microcosm of the best that American youth have to offer.”

In her essay written for the scholarship application, Alana Taylor focused on a broad view of patriotism: “In a time when the country is clearly divided on the issue of fighting terrorism, the path towards economic recovery, the ethics of science, and the morality of certain human expressions, we find that we all agree on one thing: We all want what's best for America.”

Scholarship committee chairman Jane Unzeitig emphasized the Society's long standing commitment to providing scholarships for Laredo students. “By assisting these young people to experience the beauty of our country's governmental process in the setting of our nation's capital, we feel a sense of pride in them and we also expect great things from them in the future,” said Unzeitig.