In surprise presentations at their high schools on Wednesday, May 1, Timber Creek High School student Reina Ubiles and Seminole High School student Dana Liang were awarded the Valencia College and Seminole State Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) Scholarships, respectively. Magic Community Ambassador Bo Outlaw, STUFF the Magic mascot, along with the OMYF scholarship committee traveled to each winner’s high school surprising the students with large novelty checks and news of their scholarships. The presentations occurred on May 1 at each of the winner’s schools during a surprise visit to their classrooms. The scholarships are made possible through the OMYF. Since 1995, the Orlando Magic and its foundations have awarded $495,750 to 62 students from the Central Florida area.
The Valencia OMYF Scholarship and the Seminole OMYF Scholarship awards two high school seniors, two-year scholarships at $3,000 annually ($12,000 total). The student must be a graduating senior from Orange, Seminole or Osceola counties and meet the academic and financial-need criteria. The academic requirements include a minimum 880 SAT score or a minimum 18 ACT score, a weighted cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale along with extracurricular activities/honors, two letters of recommendation and a 500 word essay on ‘If you could create your own community service program or organization here in Central Florida, what would it be, who would it serve, and why?’. The student must be degree seeking and attend Valencia College or Seminole State College in the fall.
Timber Creek H.S. student Reina Ubiles will attend Valencia College with aspirations to become a doctor and Seminole High School student Dana Liang will attend Seminole State College and plans to study accounting.
“We are proud to provide this opportunity to these very deserving students,” said Linda Landman-Gonzalez, Orlando Magic vice president of community relations and government affairs. “We salute them for their dedication, hard work and commitment to both their future and learning.”
