News & Events
City Tech Taps Two Students as 2003-2004 Presidential Scholars
Xu
Hayes
Freshmen Xing Xu and Michael Hayes have been named 2003-2004 Presidential Scholars.
After arriving in the United States from Shanghai at age four, Xu, an only child, quietly began the process of adjusting to a new culture. "I had problems with English vocabulary all the way through the third grade," she says. "I also had some difficulty with math," she adds, "and was given assistance by my grandfather who devoted himself to coaching me. At the time, I kind of took it for granted. Only later did I really appreciate how much he helped me."
Xu, now 18, lives in Flushing with her parents. After graduating with excellent grades from the Bronx High School of Science, she came to City Tech to pursue a career in computer programming. "I've always had a strong fascination with technology, an interest in the arts and a knack for creative writing," she says. "This scholarship is definitely encouraging. It's an extra incentive to do well."
The other presidential scholar, Michael Hayes, is also 18 and has a talent for computer programming that manifested itself at an early age. "My first interest in computers took shape in junior high school," he says. "At first, I helped maintain the 30 or so computers in the classroom. As I advanced into programming, its appeal was unmatched by anything else I had ever encountered. I felt that, with a little ingenuity, I could do anything."
Hayes lives with his mother in the St. George section of Staten Island and is a graduate of the honors program at Curtis High School. At City Tech, he is enrolled in the baccalaureate program in computer engineering technology, but has not yet decided upon his career goals. "Right now, I'm interested in pharmaceutics," he says, "in learning how drugs interact with one another."
When asked his reaction to being named a Presidential Scholar, he confessed that he hadn't expected it. "I'm happy about it and will certainly try to make the most of it."
Presidential scholarships, awarded to two students each year, cover the cost of tuition and fees, and are renewable for up to three years (provided recipients maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average).
Funded with unrestricted charitable donations to the New York City College of Technology Foundation, Inc., Presidential Scholarships are awarded to incoming freshmen applicants who have a high school average of 90 or higher, rank in the top 20 percent of their class and have a 1080 or higher SAT score. The awards are renewable for three additional years, provided the recipients maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
