Students win Knowledge for College championship

Caption: The winners of the Championship Game were students from Col. Santos Benavides Elementary, who each took home a $1,000 scholarship. The runners-up were from Prada Elementary, who each won a $500 scholarship. On hand to make the presentation was Javier Santos from the Fernando A. Salinas Charitable Trust Fund andRicardo Moreno, director of financial aid for Laredo Community College. Pictured sitting in front row, left to right, are Prada Elementary students Ricardo Molina and David Blanquez. From Col. Santos Benavides Elementary are students Jacob Abdallah and Greta Villarreal.

Four United ISD fifth-grade students recently received scholarships from the Fernando A. Salinas Charitable Trust Fund after competing as finalists in UISD's Knowledge for College Academic Game Show.

Throughout the school year, fifth-grade students from UISD's 27 elementary campuses competed against each other in an effort to win scholarship money. The game show requires students to spin the Wheel of Knowledge and answer TAKS type questions in the categories of Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts. Through a process of elimination, the final two schools faced-off for the championship game.

Jacob Abdallah and Greta Villarreal who represent Col. Santos Benavides Elementary school won first place in the championship game. Through the generosity of the Salinas Trust Fund, Abdallah and Villarreal were each presented with a $1,000 scholarship to Laredo Community College.

Prada Elementary was the runner-up school, and students David Blanquez and Ricardo Molina each received $500 from the Salinas Trust Fund. All four students plan to go to college and said they would put the money to good use.

On hand to present the scholarships to the four students were Javier Santos from the Fernando A. Salinas Charitable Trust Fund and Ricardo Moreno, director of financial aid for Laredo Community College.

Santos said, "We were very honored to be asked to participate in this program. It promotes education, it promotes our students and it motivates them."

Moreno went on to say, "We always look forward to providing students with an opportunity to attend college."

Knowledge for College is produced by United ISD's Instructional Television Department. The academic game show recently won a Gold Star Award in the Texas School Public Relations Association contest.

UISD Instructional Television Director Susan Carlson says, "UISD and the ITV Department are proud of our collaboration with the Salinas Trust Fund. And we would like to thank Mr. Javier Santos for his generosity and support of the students of United ISD."

The Knowledge for College Academic Game Show will resume next school year, with middle school and high school students competing for scholarship money.

Knowledge for College airs regularly, and can be seen on several local channels including KVTV, KGNS, CW, FOX and Public Access (PAC).