$1 Million in Simon Youth Scholarships includes Awards for Local Students

8/22/16

 Local students will continue their education this fall with the help of Sawgrass Mills and Simon Youth Foundation (SYF).

Gabriella Calixto from Oakland Park, Bianca Poma from Hollywood, and Danya Hussain from Sunrise have received Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarships valued at $12,250 combined. The scholarships are awarded in partnership between Sawgrass Mills and Simon Youth Foundation (SYF), a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational and career development opportunities for youth.

Calixto, Poma and Hussain are recent graduates from Fort Lauderdale High School, William T. McFatter Technical Center and J.P. Taravella High School, respectively. All winners exemplified themselves through academic excellence, leadership skills, and participation in both school and community activities. In the fall, Calixto and Poma will both be attending the University of Florida to study international relations and pre-medicine, respectively. Hussain will be attending the University of Central Florida to study political science.

“We are very proud of the Simon Youth Scholarships program because it has given us the opportunity to support the academic endeavors of promising youth right here in our community,” said David Gott, general manager at Sawgrass Mills.

Simon Youth Scholarships are awarded annually to at least one student in every U.S. community that is home to a Simon® property. This year, approximately $1.3 million will be awarded.

“Simon Youth Community Scholarships reward academic excellence across the country and help students to continue their education,” said J. Michael Durnil, President and CEO of SYF.  “Financial concerns should never be the reason preventing a child from pursuing their dreams.”

About Simon Youth Foundation

Simon Youth Foundation is a national nonprofit based in Indianapolis and is rated as a Four Star Charity by Charity Navigator. SYF exists to help at-risk students who are on the verge of dropping out of high school stay in school. Through 26 Simon Youth Academies in 12 states and Simon Youth Scholarships, SYF advocates, creates and initiates educational opportunities for students by creating learning environments primarily inside Simon malls. In partnership with local public schools, SYF has maintained a 90% graduation rate at its Academies since inception, graduated more than 13,000 students, and awarded more than $15 million in scholarships.  Learn more at syf.org.

About Sawgrass Mills

Sawgrass Mills, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in the United States, provides the ultimate shopping experience with more than 350 name-brand outlet and off-price retail stores, two major food courts, nine full-service restaurants and top entertainment. Millions of visitors annually enjoy stores throughout the property such as Calvin Klein, Coach, Disney Character Warehouse, Escada Company Store, Gap Outlet, Guess Factory Store, Hugo Boss Factory Store, Marshalls, Michael Kors Outlet, Nike Factory Store, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store and TUMI, as well as anchor stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Bloomingdale’s – The Outlet Store, Super Target and electronics superstore, BrandsMart USA. The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills features many exclusive to the area luxury outlets, such as Jimmy Choo, Prada and Versace. The excitement of shopping is only enhanced by great places to eat such as Grand Lux Café, Rainforest Cafe, P.F Chang’s China Bistro and Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar, and the best places to play such as GAMEROOM and Sawgrass 23 Stadium & IMAX.

Sawgrass Mills is located at 12801 West Sunrise Blvd in Sunrise, FL at the crossroads of West Sunrise Boulevard and Flamingo Road, just 15 minutes from Fort Lauderdale and approximately 35 minutes from Miami and Palm Beach.  Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Restaurants, movie theaters and bars enjoy later hours. For more information on Sawgrass Mills, please call 954-846-2350 or visit www.sawgrassmills.com.  Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SawgrassMills and follow us on Twitter @ShopSawgrass and Instagram @ShopSawgrass.

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