USTA Serves – Foundation for Academics. Character. Excellence., the philanthropic and charitable entity of the United States Tennis Association, has announced its 2009 scholarship recipients. The USTA/Midwest Section is excited that six of the recipients are Midwest junior tennis players. USTA Serves has granted 71 high school students a variety of college scholarships this spring, totaling $379,000. An objective of USTA Serves is to encourage children to pursue their goals and highest dreams by succeeding in school and becoming responsible citizens.
Chantel Newman of St. Thomas More High School in Milwaukee, Wi., has been named the recipient of the $15,000 Marian Wood Baird Scholarship. Bestowed upon one high school senior who has excelled academically, demonstrated achievements in leadership, and participated extensively in an organized community tennis program, the Marian Wood Baird Scholarship was created by the Baird family and named in honor of the late Marian Wood Baird, recognized by the USTA for more than 40 years of volunteer service.
Newman is an extremely well-rounded scholar-athlete who has a USTA State ranking and an impressive 4.2 GPA. She has participated in numerous extracurricular activities, including extensive community service, and is captain of both the tennis and basketball teams. In addition to her stint as a tennis instructor for the Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation, Newman tutors and is a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis, Hope House, and Milwaukee Parks, and is active in her church's youth group. A singer in various choirs, she has won awards for piano and voice. Newman plans to major in computer engineering at Marquette University.
Philip Halter of Rivet High School in Vincennes, In., is one of two recipients of the $7,500 Dwight F. Davis Memorial Scholarship. The Dwight F. Davis Memorial Scholarship is bestowed upon two high school seniors who have performed with distinction, and actively participated in extracurricular activities, community service, and an organized tennis program. Dwight Filley Davis began playing tennis at the age of 15 in 1894. In 1900, the year he graduated from college, Davis purchased a 217-troy ounce silver bowl as a prize for an international lawn tennis competition. This was the birth of the Davis Cup. Davis became president of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association in 1923. His grandson, Dwight F. Davis, III, created the scholarship to honor his grandfather’s achievements and contributions to tennis.
A role model both in the classroom and on the playing field, Halter is Rivet High School’s 2009 class valedictorian and Homecoming King. With a near perfect grade point average earned while taking on a challenging course load, including a number of college classes at a local university, Halter is captain of the tennis team and participates in baseball and basketball, as well. He is a Big Brother volunteer, active on academic teams, such as Math and Science Olympiad, and serves as president of the National Honor Society and treasurer of the Student Council. Halter plans to study pharmacy at Butler University.
Jennifer Roesch, a senior at Grafton High School in Cedarburg, Wi., has been selected as one of 52 winners nationwide of a $6,000 College Educational Scholarship. The honorees were selected from applicants throughout the country on the basis of their commitment to academic success, their local community and the game of tennis. Passionate about preserving the past, Roesch is building a solid future for herself. A member of the Military History Book Club and active in local historical associations, she is captain and MVP of her high school tennis team and has earned a USTA Sectional ranking. A pianist, she participates in choir and musicals and is a tennis camp instructor for disabled children. She will major in history while focusing on a pre-law curriculum at Lawrence University.
Heather Esker, a senior at St. Anthony High School in Effingham, Il., is a second $6,000 College Educational Scholarship recipient from the Midwest. Excelling on and off the court, Esker was Female Tennis Player of the Year in 2008 and Valedictorian of her class in 2009. A second team all-State tennis player, she earned the USTA Team Tennis Sectional Sportsmanship Award in 2008. She plays the saxophone in her school band, tutors other students and is a Special Olympics volunteer. The National Honor Society secretary will study biology and chemistry at St. Joseph College of Indiana.
Sangitha Krishnan, a senior at Revere High School in Richfield, Ohio, is the third $6,000 College Educational Scholarship recipient from the Midwest. Whether it’s comforting cancer patients in Mumbai or helping assisted living residents near home, Krishnan makes it clear to those around her what’s important in life. She is ranked seventh in her class of 226 students, excelling in biology and chemistry, and placed first in Chemistry Lab and Cell Biology in the Science Olympiad. Captain of her high school tennis team, she will be a pre-med student majoring in biology in college.
Brandi Martin, a senior at Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Il., is the fourth $6,000 College Educational Scholarship recipient from the Midwest. Described by a teacher as “hard working and uncompromising in her standards,” Martin spends a great deal of her free time volunteering for community service projects and church activities. A youth ministry leader and a choir and dance team member, she serves at a local food shelter and an ecology center. She has also earned academic achievement and leadership awards. With an interest in child psychology, she will pursue a degree in psychology in college.
“We understand how vital financial assistance is for these deserving high school seniors as they pursue higher education,” said Karen Martin-Eliezer, Chief Executive, USTA Serves. “Supporting them is a sound investment in America’s future. It is our hope and firm belief that these young men and women will continue to positively impact the world throughout their life’s journey.”