After this article was written, Blair Hornstine made national headlines for suing her school district because officials wanted her to share her valedictorian status

Get an update on Blair's scholastic happenings. Read how one student's love for children earned him college cash. Get a Jump! The Financial Aid Answer Book WIN IT! Tell us what you think!

Discovering a Gold Mine!
By Robyn Tellefsen
July/August 2003

The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- Since we interviewed Blair Hornstine pre-hoopla, you can read about her award-winning attributes here. Does she deserve the negative hype? You decide.

Name: DISCOVER® CARD TRIBUTE AWARD® SCHOLARSHIP

Top Prize: $25,000

Deadline: Applications available online beginning September 1, 2003

Details: The Discover® Card Tribute Award® Scholarship rewards high school juniors nationwide for excellence in academics, accomplishments in leadership and community service, as well as for special talents and obstacles they've overcome. It gives up to nine $2,500 awards in each state, and up to nine $25,000 national awards.

Real Winner Secrets:
Name: Blair Hornstine
Hails From: Moorestown, NJ
Working Hard at: Moorestown High School, NJ
Scholastic Status: Senior
The Digits (GPA): Over 4.0 (Gotta' love those APs!)
The College for Me: She applied to Harvard, Princeton, Duke, Stanford, Cornell, Dickinson, Penn... "a wide variety!" She chose Harvard.
Potential Tuition: About $40,000 a year.
Intended Major: Law focus
Dream Job: Poverty lawyer

Why I Applied: "I figured it couldn't hurt!"

What I Won: As a national winner in the category of Arts & Humanities -- a whopping $25,000 scholarship.

Winning Emotions: "I was very, very excited. I kept saying, 'Oh my God, thank you!'"

And Financially, This Means... "Considering the colleges I've applied to (so expensive!), the scholarship is pretty meaningful."
Words of Wisdom: "It never hurts to try -- you never know what you'll win and what you won't," says Blair. "Work your hardest so you can have something to apply for!"

On My Résumé:
* Co-founder (with big bro') of the eight-year-old service club, M.A.G.I.C. (Moorestown Alliance for Goodwill and Interest in the Community).
* Founder of the Tri-County Prom Dress Drive, which collects more than 200 dresses a year for girls from low-income families.
* Co-founder of the Tri-County Food Drive that collected 30,000 pounds of food for the hungry.
* State Chairperson for a Smile-A-Thon that funded cleft lip and palate surgeries for orphans in China. "It was one of the most amazing things I've ever done," she says. "I never thought I'd be able to go to China!"
* An Olympic Torchbearer in 2002. "I was so excited, I could barely sleep!"

My Motivation to Do What I Do: "My parents always told my brother and I that it's important to give back to the community, and help others who are less fortunate than we are."