Nine Philadelphia-Area Students Split $25,000 in New Community Scholarships

PHILADELPHIA — Nine graduating high school seniors from Philadelphia and surrounding counties have won the first Gibbons Legal Community Scholarship, splitting $25,000 in awards paid directly to their colleges, universities or trade schools.

Gibbons Legal Personal Injury and Accident Lawyers announced the inaugural winners Oct. 9. Applications will reopen in 2027.

The scholarship recognizes students who showed courage in standing up for others. Applicants wrote about a time they advocated for someone who needed a voice or a cause they believed was worth fighting for, and what the experience taught them about fairness and responsibility.

The winners include Junnar Anber Tahura of George Washington High School, now enrolled at Thomas Jefferson University; Helena Lentz of Council Rock High School North, now at the University of Vermont; Aydan J. Owens of Parkway Center City Middle College, now at the Community College of Philadelphia; and Grace John of Central High School, now at Washington and Jefferson College.

Also honored were Jasmin Coles of New Foundations Charter High School, now at North Carolina A&T State University; Ella Peticca, now at Penn State University; and Brett Westerfer of Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, now at La Salle University. Two additional recipients were not named for privacy reasons.

“We are proud to invest in young people who speak up, stand up, and fight for what is right, and we cannot wait to see what they accomplish,” a representative of the firm said in the announcement.

The winners span public, charter and suburban schools across the region, with awards sent directly to each student’s school.

With applications reopening in 2027, this year’s high school juniors have a new local scholarship to put on their radar.