More than 20 members of the Colonie Central High School Class of 2026 have been awarded merit-based scholarships from colleges and universities across the country, recognizing their hard work, academic achievement, leadership and involvement throughout their high school careers.

Together, these awards represent thousands of dollars in scholarship support and reflect the dedication students have shown both in and out of the classroom during their time at Colonie.

"Our students have worked incredibly hard to get to this point," said Kimberly Leva, school counselor and department coordinator at Colonie Central High School. "These scholarships are a recognition of years of commitment to their academics, extracurricular activities, athletics, community service and personal growth. We are proud of all they have accomplished and excited to see what they do next."

Merit scholarships are awarded by colleges and universities to students who demonstrate strong academic performance and leadership potential. Many of the scholarships earned by Colonie students are among the most competitive awards offered by their respective institutions.

The following students were recognized for receiving merit scholarships:

• Grace Bancheri — SUNY Oneonta President's Scholarship
• Jackson Bearup — Clarkson University's Clarkson Scholarship, Dean's Scholarship and Holcroft Alumni Recognition Award
• Brody Daoust — Union College Presidential Scholarship
• Teagan Devoe — Russell Sage College Dean's Honor Scholarship
• Tiffany Du — Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Presidential Scholarship, Recognition Scholarship, RIT Grant and Performing Arts Scholarship
• Eva Favors — George Washington University University and Alumni Award
• Hayden France — Sacred Heart University President's Excellence Award, Thomas More Honors Scholarship and Academic Ambition Award
• Shanique Hall — University at Albany Capital District Leadership Award, High School Scholars Scholarship and Merit Scholarship
• Olivia Hoffman — Daemen University President's Scholarship and Henry Mills Scholarship
• Juliana LaFountain — Roberts Wesleyan University Dean's Scholarship, Early Action Grant and Women's Cross Country/Track Scholarship
• Matthew Lin — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Leadership Award
• Rubin Mathew — Northeastern University Grant
• James Morrison — Rochester Institute of Technology Presidential Scholarship and RIT Grant
• Grace Roark — Siena University Presidential Award
• Jahnavi Rathore — Siena University Franciscan Scholarship
• Julius Semedo — Northeastern University Grant
• Julia Tinio — University at Albany High School Scholars Scholarship and Merit Scholarship
• Zofia Tinio — University at Albany Honors College Scholarship and High School Scholars Scholarship
• Riley VanDenburgh — Siena University Presidential Scholarship and Admissions VIP Award
• Rosalia Vargas — University at Albany Merit Scholarship, High School Scholars Scholarship and Marcia Brown Scholarship
• Kelly Waite — University of Rhode Island Presidential Scholarship 

Congratulations to all of our scholarship recipients on this well-deserved recognition.