12th Grader Melissa Maher Rises to the Top from Among 280 Applicants
Each year during training camp, the San Diego Chargers set out to choose an elite group of players that will give them the best possible chance at winning a Super Bowl. Coaches and front office staff must decide which players stand out above the rest and display true excellence on the field.
Off the field, the Chargers front office must make another difficult decision – which San Diego County High School Students stand out and display excellence in their community. This year, Southwest High School Senior Melissa Maher was chosen as one of only 10 students countywide to be named as a Chargers Champions Scholar.
Melissa will receive a $5,000 tuition scholarship as well as a laptop computer. The 10 Chargers Champions Scholars will be honored on the field prior to the Sunday, September 20th Chargers game versus the Baltimore Ravens.
Melissa is an active member of the Southwest High community serving as a peer tutor, an honors and Advanced Placement student as well as being a member of the Eco-Engineering Academy at her school. She has logged over 180 community service hours during her high school career and recently won an award for an architectural design of a sports complex that she and several classmates created as a class project.
Southwest High’s Principal Dr. Maria Armstrong says that Melissa is a model student and she is very proud of her. Dr. Armstrong also cites the hard work of her teachers, such Ms. Virginia Stretcher, who encouraged Melissa to apply for the Chargers Champions Scholarship.
“We are extremely proud of Melissa not only for winning this award, but for all of her hard work,” said Board President Jim Cartmill. “The Chargers made an excellent choice.”
The Chargers Champions Scholarship program was created to assist the future leaders of our country with their educational goals and to recognize their current efforts as leaders in their schools and communities. The program also makes a strong commitment to county schools by providing grants for badly-needed physical fitness & nutrition programs in San Diego County.