Wash Heights Teen Lands Full-Ride Scholarship To Notre Dame University

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A Washington Heights native who has excelled at school for years will celebrate both her high school graduation on Wednesday and a full-ride scholarship to Notre Dame University in the fall.

Shania Marte attended the Notre Dame School of Manhattan for high school, where she was awarded the "Be A Student's Friend Scholarship," after it wasn't clear if her family would be able to pay the tuition.

The scholarship is part of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, which currently supports over 8,000 elementary and high school students of all faiths in some of New York City's lowest socio-economic neighborhoods.

As part of Marte's scholarship, she was matched with Arthur Mahon, a dedicated sponsor who financially supported her high school tuition, and attended her graduation with "pride."

While at Notre Dame high school, Marte volunteered at a migrant shelter in El Paso, Texas, where she met with social workers, border patrol agents and lawyers, as well as community members who cared for the migrants.

The experience has pushed Marte to "pursue a career that will create positive change in society, hoping to help communities in needs," according to a news release about the high school scholarship program.

Across the board, 99 percent of high school seniors part of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund graduate, and 98 percent attend college.