CLEVELAND, April 12 – For 14 years the partnership between the Cavaliers and FirstMerit has addressed the importance of higher education. Once again in 2005, 10 graduating high school seniors from Northeast Ohio will receive $1,000 scholarships through the Cavaliers/FirstMerit Scholarship Program. The students will be honored at a pre-game banquet and recognized during a halftime ceremony at the Cavaliers vs. Knicks game at Gund Arena on Thursday, April 14th.

Cavaliers/FirstMerit Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who submit a 500-word essay on the “Importance of Education” and perform a high level of service in their communities. Applicants also submit a high school transcript, ACT and SAT scores and one letter of recommendation from a high school faculty member.

The Scholarship Application Committee reviews all applications and essays. Twenty finalists from a pool of 700 applicants are selected and interviewed by the committee, which includes members from FirstMerit, the Cleveland Cavaliers and educators.

The 2005 scholarship recipients are:

Alexandra Zelaski - Midpark High School (Middleburg Heights)
Nathan Spencer - Coventry High School (Akron)
David Harris - Wadsworth High School (Wadsworth)
T.J. Misny - Gilmour Academy (Gates Mills)
Latoya Irvine - Firestone High School (Akron)
Michael Mure - Archbishop Hoban High School (Akron)
Bethany Robinson - Barberton High School (Barberton)
Kathleen Krause - Strongsville High School (Strongsville)
Jessica Baaklini - Holy Name High School (Parma Heights)
Zachary Neumann - St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (Akron)

Through the Cavaliers/FirstMerit Scholarship, students have the opportunity to continue their growth and development through any accredited school of higher learning.

“FirstMerit Bank is proud to support these outstanding students as they pursue their educational dreams,” said Dave Janus Regional CEO and president, FirstMerit Bank. “We are pleased to be a part of a program that invests in the education of our future leaders.”

“The importance of getting a good education is a key message the Cavaliers send out to the youth in our community,” said Cavaliers President Len Komoroski. “Thanks to great partners like FirstMerit, we can turn words into action by providing scholarship opportunities to help students achieve their educational goals.