The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) Scholarship Fund presents the 2015 Academic and Art Merit Awards which were bestowed to 22 Foreign Service high school seniors whose parents are AFSA members on May 1, 2015. A total of 115 students submitted applications in this year’s competition. Recipients receive $2,500 as winners and $1,000 as honorable mention winners. This year AFSA introduced a more substantive Community Service Award sponsored by a memorial bequest from Linda K. Fitzgerald, a USIA Foreign Service secretary whose retired in 1983. To view the Community Service Award winner along with the Art Merit Awards winners, and Best Essay Award winner, click here. Judges are members from the AFSA Scholarship Committee and individuals from the Foreign Service community. The prizes total $45,250 this year. With the Fitzgerald award, AFSA has now 10 named sponsored awards.

For more information on the AFSA Scholarship Program, visit www.afsa.org/scholar.

Academic Merit Award Winners - $2,500

Di Li Aeschliman — daughter of Reed J. Aeschliman (USAID) and Po Li Aeschliman; graduated from International School Manila in Manila, Philippines; attending Washington and Lee University, majoring in economics.

Ruediger Braich — son of Kirninder P. Braich (State) and Andrea Braich; graduated from American School of Warsaw in Warsaw, Poland; attending Stanford Universtity, majoring in chemistry.

Tristan Froats — son of Daniel T. Froats (State) and Silvia T. Froats ; graduated from McLean High School in McLean, Virginia; attending Virginia Tech, majoring in engineering. Recognized as the John and Priscilla Becker Family Scholar.

Vanessa Hernandez — daughter of Sally Sternal (State) and Mauricio R. Hernandez; graduated from the Overseas School of Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka; attending University of Pennsylvania, majoring in economics.

Aaron Hilton — son of Olivia P. Hilton (State) and Robert B. Hilton (State); graduated from Professional Children’s School in New York, New York; attending Princeton University, majoring in political science. Recognized as the Embassy Risk Management Scholar and the Art Merit Award winner for his ballet performing arts submissions.

Noa Jett — daughter of Amb. Dennis Jett (State) and Lynda Schuster; graduated from Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; attending University of Pennsylvania with an undecided major. Recognized as the Joanna and Robert Martin Scholar.

Daniel Kostelancik — son of David Kostelancik (State) and Patricia Kostelancik; graduated from Langley High School in McLean, Virginia; attending Northwestern University, majoring in engineering. Recognized as the Donald S. Spigler Memorial and Maria Giuseppa Spigler Scholar.

Roberto Medrano — son of Roberto M. Medrano (State) and Ursula B. Medrano; graduated from the American School of Dubai in Dubai, UAE; attending Georgia Institute of Technology, majoring in engineering. Recognized as the John C. and Nancy S. Leary Memorial Scholar.

Jacob Murri — son of W. Marc Murri (State) and Amy Murri; graduated from Anglo-American School of Moscow in Moscow, Russia; attending Brigham Young University, majoring in physics. Recognized as the Turner C. Cameron, Jr. Memorial Scholar.

James Rigassio — son of James C. Rigassio (FCS) and Mimi E. Rigassio; graduated from American International School of Guangzhou; Guangzhou, China; attending University of California – Berkeley; majoring in economics.

Adriana Rogers — daughter Cynthia B. Rogers (USAID) and Tom N. Rogers; graduated from Cairo American College in Cairo, Egypt; attending Lewis & Clark College, majoring in engineering.

Erik Enstrom Schofer — son of Karen L. Enstrom (State) and Andrew J. Schofer (State); and graduated from American International School in Vienna, Austria; attending Georgetown University, majoring in political science. Recognized as the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Federal Employee Program Scholar.

Eleni Smitham — daughter of Thomas D. Smitham (State) and Alexandra Maduros; graduated from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland; attending Haverford College with an undecided major. Recognized as the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Federal Employee Program Scholar.

Claire Young — daughter of Meg Hawley-Young (State) and Andrew R. Young (State); graduated from Seoul Foreign School in Seoul, South Korea; attending Yale University, majoring in political science. Recognized as the Joanna and Robert Martin Scholar.

Academic Merit Award - Honorable Mention Winners - $1,000

Katarina Djilas Holtzapple — daughter of Rick A. Holtzapple (State) and Tanja Djilas Holtzapple; graduated from American School of Paris in Paris, France; attending University of New York Abu Dhabi with an undecided major.

Noah Martini — son of Alicia D. Martini (State – Civil Service) and Erik E. Martini (State); graduated from American International School Vienna in Vienna, Austria; attending University of Virginia, majoring in economics.