Lois Pope Presented Scholarships at CCNY at a September 18 Ceremony

New York - A Brooklyn resident who completed the International Baccalaureate at Xaverian High School, and a Staten Island resident who has volunteered at a medical office, a hospital and a nursing home, and counsels youth at the YMCA, have been named recipients of the Lois Pope Annual LIFE Unsung Hero Scholarship Award. Lois Pope, a Florida-based philanthropist and President of Leaders in Furthering Education (LIFE), presented $25,000 scholarships to the two students, Ismael C. Cubero, of Brooklyn, and Erica Jones, of Staten Island, at a ceremony on Thursday, September 18, 2003, at City College in Manhattan. Both students will be pursuing educations in medicine at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. Each year Mrs. Pope presents scholarships to incoming freshman to City College of the City University of New York who demonstrate academic excellence and selfless community work.

L to R: Erica Jones, Lois Pope, Ismael Cubero

Mrs. Pope is committed to the cause of raising the profile of America's unsung heroes. In addition to her support of disadvantaged students, she is spearheading an effort to raise a memorial in Washington D.C. to honor the nation's disabled veterans of war.

"Ismael and Erika are two young individuals who, both through their academic excellence, and their selfless volunteerism, will continue to distinguish themselves, not just in their chosen professions, but more importantly by making profound contributions to the betterment of humanity," Mrs. Pope said.

Mr. Cubero graduated last June from Xaverian High School after completing the International Baccalaureate, a program regarded internationally as a model of integrity and excellence. He has also participated in the Model Organization of American States Program where he served as a delegate representing Grenada and Panama. Currently, he volunteers his time at Luther Medical Center and the V.A. Hospital, where he is gaining valuable knowledge of the healthcare industry. The Pope scholarship will allow him to pursue his goal of becoming a medical doctor after which he plans to conduct research in Alzheimer's disease.

Ms. Jones graduated from Staten Island Technical High School in June. While a student there, she worked part-time in a local medical office as an Office Assistant. Prior to that, she worked at the YMCA as a youth counselor. To gain knowledge of the medical field, she volunteers her time at Staten Island University Hospital and at the Eggers Nursing Home. Winning this scholarship will lessen Ms. Jones' financial burdens and allow her to focus fully on her studies. In the future, Ms. Jones would like to work as a pediatrician in an under served community in New York.

The LIFE Unsung Hero Scholarship program is an extension of Mrs. Lois Pope's vision for rewarding and encouraging young people who put extraordinary effort into helping others. LIFE is a non-profit organization that is guided by the firm belief that young people are our most valuable resource, and that learning from hands-on community service opportunities is an important and lasting way to educate, motivate and improve community life. One of Mrs. Pope's inspirations for creating the LIFE Foundation was an article she read in a Florida newspaper about a young man who had collected over 2,000 pairs of shoes for needy children.