Fil-Am teen in New Jersey receives scholarship for helping Cebuano kids

Ana Christina Reyes, a Filipino-American student in New Jersey received a special citation and a $17,000 scholarship from the Ronald McDonald House of Charities (RHMC) for helping impoverished children in Cebu, Philippines. According to a report of news site The Filipino Reporter, Reyes, 19, a student of the Union City Academy of Allied Health Sciences in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, was among the six recipients of the RMHC's 12th ASIA (Asian Students Increasing Achievement) Scholarship Program. Aside from Reyes, the other awardees chosen for their academic achievements, financial need, and community involvement were:

• Yanling Dong, 20,
• Amanda Fong, 18,
• Jin Bin Lin, 20,
• Bill Ling, 18, and
• Jiayin Wu, 18.

The awarding rite, hosted by Michael Kim of the ESPN Sports Center, was held at the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan on May 18. "Krayon for Kids"

 

The Filipino Reporter said Reyes was cited for raising funds for school supplies for underprivileged children in Cebu.

 

Reyes, who dreams of becoming a surgeon, told the Filipino Reporter that she will be using the grant for her biology studies this fall at Rutgers University.

 

Born and raised in the Philippines before their family moved to the US, Reyes said the people living in dire poverty left a lasting impression on her.

 

In the US, she founded “Krayon for Kids,” a group that gathers school supplies that are sent to the Cebu-based Little Bamboo Foundation which educates poor children.

 

Reyes said her parents taught her and her siblings early on to be charitable. Every Sunday, their mom brought them with her to help out at a feeding project for the poor. "Investing" in students