WALL, N.J. (Sept. 3, 2008) — School bus contractor Student Transportation of America (STA) recently awarded nine Pennsylvania high school graduates with $1,000 scholarship from 2008 John Finfrock Scholars program, named after a long-time educator who dedicated his life to serving students.

"These (scholarships) give me the opportunity to meet these fine young people, to encourage them not to be afraid of the opportunities they are given, and help them reach their goals," said Finfrock, now a consultant for STA. "They seem to know where they want to go and are preparing for it. Being a part of their success is very satisfying."

The funds for the program come from STA’s annual John Finfrock Golf Outing, which was first held in 2003.

"Thanks to our dedicated employees and the generosity of golf outing participants, we’ve been able to increase our scholarships from four in 2004 to nine this year," said Peter Pearson, chief operating officer for STA’s central region. "Best of all, we have the privilege of attending high school awards assemblies to personally present the scholarships."

This year’s recipients, Tyler Loennig of Punxsutawney, Margaret Palermo of Milford, Jaclyn Lacono of Millrift, Benjamin Cossitor of Altoona, Laura Beachy of Somerset, Kaitlin Fabich of New Castle, Adam Odenwelder of Roseto, Carly Turk of Hermitage and Katie Ellison of Sharpsville, each received separate $1,000 scholarship to attend the college of their choice.

"The appreciation of the students and their families is the most rewarding part of the entire effort. In Pennsylvania, we hope to continue to grow the Foundation until we reach our goal of raising enough money to award a scholarship in each of the 27 school districts we serve," added Pearson.