PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Green Family Foundation and Firstrust Bank honored 18 college-bound students with $360,000 in scholarships during a celebration at the Philadelphia Eagles stadium on May 29. Among the recipients were three outstanding students from Chester County: Sophia Fontecchio and Vamsi Krishna Nandamuri from Downingtown STEM Academy, and Foram Shah from B. Reed Henderson High School.
These scholarships are part of the Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program, which has supported civic-minded high school seniors in the Greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley regions for 55 years. Each winning student receives $20,000, distributed evenly over four years, to help them pursue higher education.
Sophia Fontecchio, Vamsi Krishna Nandamuri, and Foram Shah impressed the selection committee with their personal essays on how they plan to use their college education to positively impact their communities. Their demonstrated leadership and commitment to making a difference earned them this prestigious recognition.
“When I think about the number of young adults we’ve supported through the Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program, more than 1,000 students, I am amazed by the impact and honored to uphold the legacy of my grandfather and Firstrust’s Founder, Samuel A. Green,” said Richard J. Green, Executive Chairman of Firstrust Bank’s Board of Directors and Trustee of the Green Family Foundation.
The scholarship program encourages students to become catalysts for positive change. “At the Green Family Foundation and Firstrust, we want to help remove barriers for our region’s bright young minds to pursue higher education,” added Green. “That’s why we’ve decided to provide $20,000 scholarships for students over the course of four years rather than just during their first year.”
Sophia, Vamsi, and Foram are part of a cohort selected from nearly 440 applicants based on their written responses to the topic: “How will you use your college education to make a substantial impact in your community?” Alongside their scholarships, each student received a “swag bag” with a sweatshirt from their chosen college or university and a poster version of their winning essay.
This initiative not only supports students financially but also fosters a sense of responsibility and community engagement. By investing in these young leaders, the Green Family Foundation and Firstrust Bank aim to create a ripple effect that will benefit communities for years to come.
The commitment to providing ongoing support reflects the organizations’ dedication to educational equity and community development. In the last four years alone, the program has awarded over $1 million in scholarships, continuing a legacy that has spanned more than half a century.
As these Chester County students prepare for the next chapter of their academic journeys, they carry with them the promise and potential to make meaningful contributions to society, inspired by the legacy of Samuel A. Green and the support of the Green Family Foundation and Firstrust Bank.
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