The inaugural Chevrolet/Michelle Kwan REWARDS Scholarship Program recognizes and assists outstanding college-bound female athletes from across the country.
Of the 5,000 graduating seniors who applied, the 10 chosen showed outstanding performance in academics, athletics, leadership, participation in school/community activities, financial need and personal essay.
REWARDS, which stands for Recognizing Excellence of Women in Academics & Rewarding Dynamic Student-athletes, will provide each student $2,000 for the first year of college, and $1,000 each for the next three years, as long as the recipient meets renewal criteria.
The 10 young women met Kwan, who grew up in Torrance and is a UCLA sophomore and 2002 Olympic hopeful, at a beach party in Santa Monica. A formal awards presentation will be held at Disneyland tonight.
Among the winners were Marissa Mike of John Burroughs High in Burbank, who plans to study economics and run track and play tennis at Harvard University.
"I'm really excited to have met Michelle," she said, and honored to be one of 10 girls chosen from among 5,000 applicants.
"It was shocking," she said.
Kwan has won an unprecedented 36 championships, including five U.S. and the four world titles, and she took home a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.
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