For Amy Alagor getting straight As and starring in track and field proved to be no challenge, but figuring out how to pay for college was a whole different game.
"Kids who don’t have the funds to go to college like me, I was a great student but when it came down to finances I couldn’t go the school I thought I would," Alagor said.
Alagor joined 14 other city public high school graduates Thursday at Brooklyn Borough Hall.
They were honored for being NY1 scholar athletes this school year.
"We couldn’t be more proud of the young men and women that are here today who through their hard work and dedication and a fair amount of talent excelled both in the classroom but also as athletes," said Spectrum News North General Manager Dan Ronayne.
Every school year NY1 profiles high school seniors who do just that.
The program awards outstanding student athletes a $1,000 scholarship.
NY1 requires that the money be used for college tuition, room and board or books.
State Senator Jesse Hamilton spoke at this year’s awards luncheon.
"College is very expensive now sometimes $60,000 many people sometimes scholar athletes whose families do not have the resources to send them to college. So this NY1 spectrum initiative helps fulfill their Dream of going to college and living the American dream," Hamilton said.
From a girl who made the boys wrestling team to a gymnast named class valedictorian to a star basketball player training to be a pilot, NY1's scholar athletes impressed us all year. And at the luncheon, they made quite an impression on each other.
"I feel so inspiring and motivating to be around people like them individuals have accomplished so much in four years And they are going to do great things and they are going to do great things," said Foysal Uddin, a scholar athlete award winner.
Thanks in part to an already proven drive to succeed. And now they’ll have a little help to get them where they want to go.
It helps make my dreams come true of going to college," Alagor added.