On June 16, during a luncheon celebration, the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation awarded scholarships to five high-achieving college-bound students who are involved in their communities and value Pittsburgh’s history, architecture and landscape design. PHLF received 47 applications this year and was able to award five scholarships, thanks to the continuing support of the Brashear Family Named Fund at PHLF and generous donations from others.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS—From left: Louise Sturgess, from PHLF; Anna M. Murnane, Stephen Karas, Eric C. Wise, Victoria N. Lewis, Candice L. Thornton and Herman Reid, from PHLF.

“Each year the Landmarks Scholarship Committee looks forward to reviewing all the applications,” said David Brashear, founder and chair of PHLF’s Scholarship Committee. “This program helps us connect with young people who share our values and who we believe will contribute to Pittsburgh during their lifetime.”

The Prom. Whereas the child can’t wait for the prom, and looks forward to it as being one of the greatest days in their lives, the parent in many cases hates to see that day come and is glad when it’s all over.

Why? Because of the bitter sweet knowledge that your child will be leaving you for college or going out on their own, but the real reason is the cost.

PERRY—IMANI IRVING-TAIT, RAGHIB DOLPHIN

When the parent is thinking “what college are you going to and how will it be paid for?” the kid cannot think beyond, The Prom. While the parent is trying to get things together for college, such as cost, quality of education, who provides what, SAT tests, what kinds of scholarships, grants and loans are available and are these loans subsidized or unsubsidized, the child very seldom has time to talk to anyone because they are caught up in something far more important, The Prom. They have to get the opinion of their friends on the hundreds of dresses they are looking at online, and at the malls while making sure they don’t show up with the same dresses. Oh my God, that would be a disaster.

The message is simple. “Live in our city, attend our schools and we’ll send you to college with a $20,000 scholarship.”

That’s the motto for the Pittsburgh Promise, a program that offers scholarships to Pittsburgh Public School students who meet certain requirements. In two years, the stakes will be even higher when the amount of the scholarship is raised to $40,000.

PROMISE TEAM—From left: Franco Harris, Saleem Ghubril, Sandra N. Danoff, Edie Shapira, Grant Oliphant, Anne Lewis, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Cindy Shapira, David Shapira and David J. Malone.

To date, 1,690 scholarships have been awarded with another 750 expected from the recent batch of graduates. Local leaders delivered this and more during a report to the community July 1 at the O'Reilly Theater.

“There are amazing stories about the impact of the Promise,” said former Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris.