Hawken Senior Wins Scholarship From Cavs & FirstMerit

Some honest writing and timeliness earned a Hawken School senior a spot under the lights at Quicken Loans Arena.

Gates Mills resident Annie Artz was one of 10 graduating seniors from the area who won a scholarship from FirstMerit Bank and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team announced Friday. Annie and the other students were recognized before the game against the New York Knicks Friday night.

Each student was awarded a check for $2,000 and an iPad.

Annie and the other students submitted 500-word essays about the most important lesson they have learned in life and how they will apply it in the future. The Cavs and FirstMerit also looked at standardized test scores, academic achievement, community involvement and extracurricular activities.

A scholarship application committee reviewed applications and essays from more than 600 students. The group interviewed 20 finalists.

“We have so many talented young adults in Northeastern Ohio and it’s truly an honor to help contribute to their future with these scholarships,” FirstMerit Bank marketing officer Julie Tutkovics said in a statement.

Annie is a member of the school's field hockey and lacrosse teams and part of the Hawken Integrity Council. She is also the sports editor for the school newspaper. Annie has also led the charge behind several philanthropic efforts, including selling “Hawken for Haiti” t-shirts following the earthquake in Haiti to raise money for Partners in Health.