Daniel G. Calugar Foundation Recognizes Stephen Hall-Nunez as a 2024 Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship Recipient

Stephen Hall-Nunez was selected as a 2024 recipient of the Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship, awarded by the Daniel G. Calugar Foundation

/EIN News/ -- LAS VEGAS, July 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Daniel G. Calugar Foundation is pleased to announce that Stephen Hall-Nunez has been selected as one of the 2024 recipients of the Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship. Stephen will be attending Harvard College beginning in the fall of 2024 and will receive $10,000 to support his professional and academic endeavors.

The Daniel G. Calugar Foundation established the Academic Achievement Scholarship to recognize and reward incoming freshmen for their academic excellence. The scholarship aims to support driven individuals with well-defined career aspirations, fostering their educational and professional journeys.

Stephen is one of 10 recipients of the Academic Achievement Scholarship entering college this fall.

“As a neuroscience major, I didn't think the odds were in my favor for this scholarship when I went down a days-long rabbit hole into increasing national debt,” Stephen said. “But, it was really nice to branch out and have my thoughts and opinions heard and to get such incredible help as I start paying for college.”

Eligibility for the Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship required applicants to achieve a minimum score of 1500 on the SAT or 34 on the ACT. Additionally, students underwent a comprehensive assessment of their academic achievements, stated goals, and objectives as presented in their application statements.

In his scholarship essay, Stephen discussed his plans to pursue a degree in neuroscience at Harvard College, followed by an MD-Ph.D. in a yet-to-be-determined area of study. His ultimate goal is to become a pediatric neurologist specializing in movement and coordination disorders.

“Kids don’t realize that they’re disabled just because they can’t see or their legs don’t work. I’m sure you can’t run as fast as Usain Bolt, but that didn’t affect your ability to enter a building or use a computer,” Stephen wrote in his application essay. “Instead, kids realize it when they see that the world isn’t built for them. And once it happens, it’s hard to come back from that view of yourself, that you lack something someone else has.”

He continued, explaining that if life-changing treatments and medical equipment were readily available, no child would have to wait months for a wheelchair or a hearing aid.

“Then, that child gets to go through life knowing that they have the tools and support to achieve anything they want to. They get the chance to succeed and fail in their own time and on their own terms,” Stephen wrote. “They’re never taught by the world that they’re a burden, or limited by the expectations of the adults around them. Every child deserves the chance to reach their potential, regardless of any factors out of their control. I chose the career path I did so that I can provide the treatments and resources to make sure no child I treat has to experience their condition as a burden or a limitation on their life.”

Daniel Calugar is a financial investor with a background in computer science, law, finance, and business. He majored in computer science at the Air Force Academy and uses the technical knowledge he gained there to design computer programs that help him identify profitable investment strategies.

For more information, please visit dancalugarscholarship.com.

Media Contact:
Name: Dan Calugar
Email: Scholarship@dancalugarfoundation.org
Organization: Daniel G Calugar Foundation
Address: 1 Hughes Center Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89169
Phone:702 302-3204
https://www.dancalugarscholarship.com/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cb79e23a-fdb4-4e01-bb14-09907cf118a6