Finalists Announced to receive $5,000 Sam Budnyk Scholar-Athlete Award

WEST PALM BEACH, FL – The Palm Beach County Sports Institute is pleased to announce the 2008 Sam Budnyk Scholar-Athlete Award finalists. The Sam Budnyk Scholar-Athlete Award, established and first awarded in 2005, is presented annually to a high school senior in Palm Beach County. The student must have demonstrated outstanding achievement in academics, community service and athletics. The scholarship is administered and judged by a panel of diverse, competent and independent individuals and is named in recognition and celebration of the commitment, values and success of Sam Budnyk, Athletic Director at Cardinal Newman High School for forty-six years and Head Football Coach for forty-three of those years.  Funds for the award are kindly donated by the Orange Bowl Foundation, The Goodman Family Foundation and individual donors.

2008 had the largest number of applicants in the scholarship’s history.  After reviewing all applicants, the selection committee has named the following finalists for this year’s award

Amanda Adams, Atlantic Community High School
Amanda has a 3.6 GPA and is an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate. She is Team Captain for the Varsity Volleyball Team, on the Wrestling Team, was on the track team and was a junior varsity soccer player. Amanda is also a United States Equestrian Federation Member placing in several competitions for dressage and show jumping. This Pathfinder Award nominee for foreign language also volunteers her time for other organizations such as Locks of Love.  She donated 15-inches of her own hair to the cause.  She is also involved in YMCA “Healthy Kids Day”, John D. MacArthur State Park, St. Jude’s Hospital, “Big Brothers, Big Sisters” and has traveled to Mexico for Casa Hogar to help orphans.

Amanda will be attending the University of Florida where she plans on playing Volleyball and pursue a career in journalism.

Joseph Borick, Boca Raton Community High School
Joseph is ranked in the top 2% of Boca High’s highest achieving senior class to date. He has excelled in the classroom, having completed 13 Advanced Placement Courses and scored a 1420 on his SAT’s. On the soccer field Joseph serves as the team captain and led the team to three district and two regional titles. Joseph is currently “Mr. Boca High”, the most coveted, visible, influential, and demanding leadership position a Boca High student can hold. Joseph has shown passion for international affairs while teaching AIDS education in Africa.  He is an Outreach Delegate for Students for a Better Tomorrow.  He has also distributed school supplies in Africa, traveled to Washington D.C. for a NSLLC International Diplomacy summer program, and was part of a mission trip to the Bahamas to help orphans.  Joseph helps out in the community, tutoring math to underprivileged teens and has helped with hurricane relief, cleaning apartments and roadways with the Red Cross and First Priority. Joseph wishes to make a difference for the impoverished worldwide.  He also has an interest in politics. His ideal career would be a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department or a position in the World Health Organization or United Nations 

Joseph has been accepted at Wheaton College, the University of Florida, Davidson College, the University of Miami and Williams College.

Mylo Cheng, Suncoast Community High School
Mylo ranks 2 of 309 Suncoast seniors and 3 of 12,000 seniors enrolled in the School District of Palm Beach County. He was selected as a 2007 Bezos Aspen Scholar, a 2007 National AP Scholar, a 2008 Coca-Cola Scholar finalist, and a 2008 Presidential Spirit of the Community Award winner. Mylo has shown excellence in leadership being elected president of SGA in 2008, an active member of the School Advisory Council, elected president of 4-H Florida State Council and selected staffer for the Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly.

He is a “doer of deeds” through his performance of more than 2,500 community service hours for organizations and charities which have benefited children locally, nationally, and internationally. This multi-dimensional young adult is also an exceptional student athlete. He served as Captain of the Suncoast Varsity Water Polo Team and member of the Boy’s Swim Team which has won county, district and regional championships. Mylo is also very involved in the community, volunteering with such programs as Youth Empowered Ambassadors for Health, Hispanic Obesity Prevention and Education, Operation Military Kids, and the American Heart Association. Mylo will be attending the University of Pennsylvania where he was 1 of 50 students from around the world accepted in the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology at the University of Pennsylvania.  He also wants to continue to play water polo for Penn.

Marcus DiLallo, Wellington Community High School
Marcus is ranked 3 out of 555 seniors, with a 4.0 GPA. Marcus has played competitive travel soccer since the age of 8, started on the Varsity Team as a freshman and was elected team captain as a senior. He has received many accolades on and off the field.  He was named to All-Conference, All-County, All-Area, and All-State Teams three years in a row; honored as “Defensive MVP” two years in a row; awarded “State Farm Good Sportsmanship Award” and named NSCAA Scholar All-American. Marcus was recently chosen as a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship and as an Advanced Placement Scholar of Distinction.

Marcus is also committed to community service, attending Mission Trips to paint houses in New Orleans and rebuild neighborhoods in Tampa. He also participated in the Community Fitness Run to benefit Hospice of Palm Beach County, Race for the Cure and Relay for Life that benefits the American Cancer Society. Marcus was accepted to Yale University and plans to attend there and enroll as a  pre-med student.

Leah Dirkse, The Benjamin School
Leah has a 4.11 unweighted GPA, a 30 ACT score, a 2130 on her SAT’s. She has been enrolled in eight Advanced Placement courses and nine honors classes during her high school career. Leah is just as dedicated and intense on the field as she is in the classroom. She has earned 12 varsity letters in soccer, cross country, swimming and track. Leah has been team captain three times, won all area honors seven times and is an all-state player in soccer.

Around campus Leah is involved in a variety of activities including the National Honor Society, Habitat for Humanity and Key Club.  She is still deciding among several major universities at which to pursue her higher education.

Marc Hendel, Atlantic Community High School
Marc has a 4.00 GPA, a 35 ACT score, a 1560 SAT score, not to mention he is also a National Merit Finalist, AP National Scholar, Eagles for Excellence, and a Pathfinder Sports Nominee. Captain of the cross-country team, Marc was also the Lake Worth Invitational Individual Champion, All-Conference second team member and Coach’s Choice Award for Cross Country. Passionate about mathematics, he is president of the math club, Mu Alpha Theta. He started a Young Democrats Club on campus and served as an intern for Rep. Robert Wexler. Not content to learn and serve on campus only, Marc created the “Race Like a Kids All Comers Track Meet” to support the Youth Activity Center for underprivileged youth. Marc was accepted to Emory University and the University of Florida and plans to study political science.

Caitlin Prichard, Cardinal Newman High School
Caitlin is in the International Baccalaureate Program and is the class Salutatorian with a 4.883 GPA. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the French Honor Society, the Debate club, and the Environmental club. She is Cardinal Newman’s History and Political Science nominee for the prestigious Pathfinder Awards. In athletics she has earned eight letters, four in cross country and four in track as well as being the captain for both the cross country and track team. Caitlin has performed over 500 hours of community service since 9th grade.  She is very active at St. Vincent Ferrer Church, Komen Race for the Cure, People to People International and numerous other groups.

Caitlin has currently been accepted to The University of Florida and The Catholic University of America and plans to major in International Politics and minor in International History.

Elizabeth Rogers, Suncoast Community High School
Elizabeth is enrolled in two of the most rigorous programs at Suncoast, Mathematics, Science & Engineering and International Baccalaureate. Over her seven semesters she has earned a 3.9 GPA. Over the past four years, Elizabeth has earned numerous awards and trophies in swimming at the local, district, state, national and international levels. She is the Girl’s Swim Team Captain, Most Valuable Player, district champion, she went to NCSA Junior Nationals, and was named USA Swimming Scholastic All-American. Elizabeth was also an integral member of the swim team that raised more than $3,000 for the American Cancer Society by swimming 107 miles. She has also volunteered at St. Mary’s hospital and worked with Palm Beach County Coastal Cleanup collecting debris to help save our environment. Elizabeth is very active in school clubs being a member of Key Club and the National Honor Society. Elizabeth is hoping to go to John Hopkins University and major in Biology.

Megan Siefker, Park Vista High School
Megan demonstrates a constant desire for improvement and excellence academically and athletically. With a rigorous schedule of honors and advanced placement classes, Megan still finds time to be the President of Student Council, an active member of the National Honor Society and play for varsity soccer, cross country and track teams. Megan will graduate with 11 varsity letters and has received many accolades for her athletic ability including, First Team All-Conference and Minds in Motion Scholar Athlete Award for Varsity Soccer, Varsity Cross Country and Varsity Track. Additionally, in Varsity Soccer she made Second Team All-County and District Champions. In Varsity Cross Country she received Most Valuable Runner Award and Individual Conference runner up. In Varsity Track she received Coaches Award, Conference Champions in the 4x8 relay, Conference Champion in 4x4 relay and 800m run and District Champion in 800m run. Megan is just as dedicated in her community service, participating in a mission trip with Holy Cross Catholic Church to an indian reservation in New Mexico and volunteering for such organizations as Habitat for Humanity and the Special Olympics.

Megan will continue her education at the University of Florida majoring in Building Construction or Real-estate. Her goal is to contribute to the development of new projects which incorporate “LEED,” Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The Sam Budnyk Scholar-Athlete Award is presented annually through The Palm Beach County Sports Institute to a high school senior in Palm Beach County.  Additional information on the award and Institute activities can be found at www.PalmBeachSports.com.

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