A 12-year-old in Northern New York is one of the first winners of a full scholarship to a SUNY or CUNY college as part of a state incentive to get teenagers vaccinated.
The first winners of New York’s “Get A Shot to Make Your Future” program were announced last week. Announcing the recipients, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the incentive had spurred more than 45,000 young people to get the vaccine. “This is about a $100,000 value this scholarship.”
Among the winners is 12-year-old Chazy Central Rural School sixth-grader Jack McAuliffe. His father Rob McAuliffe, principal of the Chazy Elementary School, said the scholarship chance is not why they encouraged their son to get vaccinated, but they’re excited about the opportunities it carries. “We never thought we’d start looking at colleges at age 12 but now all of a sudden we’re starting to look at what state schools he might be interested in.”
Ten teens will be chosen for scholarships each week for five weeks.