Utah High School Student Surprised with $25,000 Scholarship from Sallie Mae

Taylorsville High School Student Thanh Le Receives Sallie Mae’s
Bridging the Dream Scholarship

Scholarship Recognizes High School Juniors and Seniors Who Excel
Inside and Outside the Classroom

SALT LAKE CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BridgingTheDream?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#BridgingTheDreamlt;/agt;–Thanh Le, a senior at Taylorsville High School, was surprised with a
$25,000 Bridging
the Dream Scholarship from Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving,
planning, and paying for college company. Le was greeted by Sallie Mae
representatives during his statistics class. Taylorsville High School
principal Emily Liddell, school counselor Claire Dukatz, who nominated
him for the scholarship, and Le’s father were also on hand for the
announcement.

Le is one of seven $25,000 Sallie Mae Bridging the Dream Scholarship
recipients nationwide. The scholarship recognizes high school juniors
and seniors who excel in academics, athletics, community service, or
school activities, but may face personal or financial challenges when
looking to fulfill their college dreams. Since 2016, Sallie Mae has
awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to undergraduate and graduate
students through the Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program. This year,
$175,000 will be awarded, including more than $40,000 raised directly by
employees.

After experiencing a series of personal challenges, including the loss
of his mother, Le has juggled multiple jobs to support himself
financially. He doesn’t let this get in the way of excelling both in
academics and extracurriculars — he serves as a senior class senator, is
a member of the cross country and track teams, and has been practicing
martial arts since he was nine; Le shares his passion by teaching kids
at a local studio. Le provides tutoring to students, and is a member of
both the Key Club and National Honor Society.

“My mom taught me how to be kind and give back to others, so I’m really
focused on volunteering and helping others throughout the community,”
said Le. “Knowing I have this $25,000 scholarship from Sallie Mae allows
me to continue my focus on helping others, instead of worrying about
what steps to take to pay for college.”

“Thanh is the epitome of a well-rounded student, succeeding academically
and in his community work, despite significant setbacks personally that
might hinder a student’s ability to thrive,” said Dukatz. “He is a
constant source of light at our school, and it’s so heartwarming to know
that Sallie Mae recognizes and supports the daily hard work Thanh
exhibits in order to achieve his dreams.”

“Students like Thanh are the reason the Bridging the Dream Scholarship
Program is so successful,” said Shawn Murphy, director, Sallie Mae. “He
is the perfect example of a person who has overcome adversity and
thrived, paving the way for others to succeed, too. We’re honored to
meet Thanh and be a part of his journey forward, helping him make
college happen and create the life he’s imagined.”

For more information about Sallie Mae’s Bridging the Dream Scholarships,
visit SallieMae.com/BridgingTheDream,
or join the conversation by using #BridgingTheDream.

For more information about saving, planning, and paying for college,
visit SallieMae.com.

Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and
paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just
around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible
personal finance, including private education loans, free scholarship
search tools, free college financial planning tools, and online retail
banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM
Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the
United States of America.

Contacts

Antoine Oakley
(302) 451-4916
(302) 509-9464 (cell)
Antoine.Oakley@salliemae.com