Jobany Quiterio, a senior at Taylorsville High School, is a finalist for a $25,000 Bridging the Dream Scholarship from Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company.

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Taylorsville High School senior Jobany Quiterio is a Sallie Mae scholarship finalist. (Photo: Busine ...

Taylorsville High School senior Jobany Quiterio is a Sallie Mae scholarship finalist. (Photo: Business Wire)

Quiterio, 18, is an honors student at Taylorsville High School, where he maintains a 3.8 GPA, is student body president, and is active in Latinos in Action, a service-based leadership class in which he tutors elementary students and translates parent-teacher conferences for Spanish-speaking parents.

Sallie Mae’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program recognizes inspiring high school juniors and seniors who excel in academics, athletics, community service, or school activities, but whose financial circumstances may not permit them to fulfill their college dreams. This year, Sallie Mae will award five $25,000 Bridging the Dream scholarships to recipients selected from nominations submitted by high school counselors and community leaders across the U.S.

“As a seventh grader, Jobany was traveling down the wrong path, but he found the ability within himself to turn his life around, and today he is one of the most academically successful students and influential student leaders at Taylorsville High School,” said Chad Farnes, the Taylorsville High School counselor who nominated him. “I can think of no one more deserving of this scholarship and the doors it will open for him.”

Sallie Mae received hundreds of nominations, and members of Sallie Mae’s Bridging the Dream Team are traveling around the country to meet with and evaluate the finalists. The team will meet with Jobany next week. The winners will be announced before the end of 2017.

“The Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program exemplifies Sallie Mae’s desire to help ambitious young people reach their potential, and we have been moved by Jobany’s story of hardship, determination, and passion for helping others,” said Paul Thome, president, Sallie Mae Bank. “We look forward to meeting and learning more about him and the rest of our impressive finalists, all of whom have overcome exceptional circumstances.”

Sallie Mae Bank, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a wholly owned subsidiary of SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae.

For more information about the Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program, visit SallieMae.com/BridgingTheDream, or join the conversation by using #BridgingTheDream. For more information about saving, planning, and paying for college, visit SallieMae.com.

Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.