The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2019 61 AFSA NEWS Meet the 2019 AFSA Merit Award Winners Founded in 1926, the AFSA scholarship program awarded $352,000 this year. In need-based Financial Aid Scholarships, $223,000 was divided among 64 students. In Merit Awards, 41 awards totaled $129,000. Below are the 2019 AFSA Merit Award winners, honored at the annual Youth Awards Ceremony on June 26 in the Marshall Center at Main State. Winners received $3,500, Honorable Mentions $2,000, and the Best Essay $1,000. AFSA thanks all of the judges and donors who made this year’s Merit Awards possible. Academic Merit Joseph Banks – son of Jared (State) and Laura Banks, gradu- ated from home school, Ash- burn, Virginia. Plans to attend the University of Virginia to study computer science and math. Elena Bauermeister – daughter of Melania Arreaga (State) and Vince Bauermeister, graduated from the International School of Estonia. Plans to attend North- western University to study history. Jude Bedessem – son of Joseph (State) and Ekhlas Bedessem, graduated fromThomas Jeffer- son High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia. Plans to attend the College of William and Mary to study phys- ics and mathematics. Zoe Elizabeth Benson – daughter of Carlton (State) and Elzbieta Benson, graduated from Catalina Foothills High School in Tuscon, Arizona. Plans to attend the University of Arizona Honors College to study English and ecology & evolutionary biology. Quentin Bishop – son of Melissa (State) and Geoffrey (State) Bishop, graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia. Plans to attend the University of Virginia to study computer science. Alyssa Burkhalter – daughter of Edward (State) and Susan Burkhalter, graduated fromWest Springfield High School, Spring- field, Virginia. Plans to attend Vanderbilt University to study musical performance. Victoria Chen – daughter of Ligang Chen (State) and Heather Smith, graduated from the American Community School Abu Dhabi, UAE. Plans to attend University of California Berkeley to study pre-med. Aimee Dastin-van Rijn – daughter of Michele Dastin-van Rijn (State) and Paul van Rijn, graduated from St. John’s International School, Belgium. Plans to attend the University of Maryland to study economics, public policy and theater. Jasper Duval – son of Thomas (State) and Carole Duval, gradu- ated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Plans to attend Northeastern University to study biology. Joseph Banks Elena Bauermeister Jude Bedessem Zoe Benson Quentin Bishop Alyssa Burkhalter Victoria Chen Aimee Dastin-van Rijn