Congratulating RISE Scholarship Winners!

For the second year in a row, Elevate awarded five students the RISE Financial Progress Scholarship. We are thrilled to help these talented individuals pursue their academic careers.

Since the inaugural awards in 2019, our goal has been to support ambitious college students in achieving their dreams while also reducing the financial burden of higher education. 

This year’s recipients represent a range of talents and interests and are studying at universities across the country:

Ryson Cebriak

Ryson is a student-athlete, exemplifying what it means to be a well-rounded member of his academic community. He was his high school valedictorian and received a number of prestigious awards, including the Spokane Scholars Academic Foundation Award and the MathPACE Character Student of the Year. As a varsity tennis player, Ryson earned a Most Valuable Player distinction. He has also established professional credentials as a board registered dental assistant. Ryson currently attends Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.

Jonathan Dinh

Jonathan is an accomplished musician and student. He served with the University Catholic Center Music Ministry and teaches viola as a private tutor. Jonathan also works as a research assistant at Gene Networks Lab and volunteers at St. David’s Medical Center. The University of Texas at Austin student has been named to the school’s honor program, and he is a study leader for his undergraduate peers.

Melanie LeTourneau

Also a student-athlete, Melanie was co-captain of her high school’s varsity basketball team and graduated third in her class. She has a lifelong love of basketball, starting in the third grade. Melanie also performed in the orchestra and was a member of the National Honor Society. She was named a Sunshine State Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction. She shares her passion for math with students as an instructor at Mathnasium. Melanie currently studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Julia Lombardi

Julia is an accomplished performer and was a member of her high school dance team, color guard, and choir. She was also involved with the Special Olympics Club and Math League and was a member of the National Honor Society. The recipient of Outstanding Young Citizen and Scholastic Writing Awards, Julie enjoys cooking and reading in her downtime. She is a student at the University of Pittsburgh.

Robyn Thornton

Robyn pulled double duty as a high school and college student, participating in the Dual Enrollment Program with Broken Arrow High School and Tulsa Community College. When she graduated high school, she received both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in liberal arts. Now she studies English at the University of Oklahoma — “something I have been excited to do since tenth grade,” she says.

The RISE Financial Progress Scholarship awards recipients $3,000 to use toward their higher education expenses. Scholarship candidates must complete an online financial literacy course and write an essay on how the course helped them, whether it enabled them to help someone else, and whether they believe the course will aid them in reaching their financial goals.

The scholarship contest is open to students who are United State citizens or permanent residents, and who are currently enrolled in college or university classes or are signed up for the next semester. They must have a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.