FORT DIX,  NJ - Brian A. Genk, of Waterford, Camden County, N.J., was awarded a $5,000 Merrill Lynch Academic Scholarship when he graduated from the New Jersey National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program.

 The scholarship is given to the top Youth ChalleNGe graduate in each of the 26 states where the program exits.  Every winner receives $5,000 per year to pay for tuition, books and room and board at an accredited four-year college or university.  Genk will be attending Mount Vernon Nazerene College, Mount Vernon, Ohio in the fall.

 The aim of the Youth ChalleNGe program is to develop educated, well-rounded and productive citizens by giving high school dropouts a second chance at life.  The 17-month program, open to all 16-18 year-old high school dropouts who volunteer, are drug and alcohol free, and not currently on parole or probation helps the students by improving their life skills, education levels and employment potential.  ChalleNGe is comprised of eight core components: educational excellence, responsible citizenship, leadership and followership, job skills, community service, physical fitness, life-coping skills, and health education.

 The first five months of the program are spent in a residential phase were the cadets develop discipline and structure while earning their high school  diploma or GED.  Then they continue into a 12-month follow-up post-residential phase where they work with a mentor.  More than 35,000 young men and women have graduated from the Youth ChalleNGe programs located in 26 states and Puerto Rico.

 “As a company that believes in supporting the achievement of young people with great potential but limited resources, Merrill Lynch is pleased to assist these outstanding graduates of the Youth ChalleNGe Program in pursuing four-year degrees,” said Dr. Eddy Bayardelle, First Vice President, Merrill Lynch, Global Philanthropy and Community Relations.  “What makes the Youth ChalleNGe Program unique is its dual focus on academic and life skills.  It not only helps young men and women to achieve their academic goals, but also requires them to demonstrate the self-discipline, tenacity and self-respect needed to become responsible and productive citizens.”

 For more information on the program, please contact Donald Alexander, 609-562-0577.