Lincoln Prep students win Emanuel Cleaver scholarships to study abroad

Six Lincoln College Preparatory Academy students will study in Europe or Asia this summer as the first recipients of Congressman Cleaver Scholarships.

The students were selected based on academic merit and eagerness to learn a new language, connect with people from a different culture and tackle global issues.

The students will each receive a scholarship that covers the full cost of attending a high school abroad program through the Council on International Educational Exchange. Alexandra Thompson will study in Nanjing, China; Cheyenne Clopton and Irma Reyes in Toulouse, France; Cindy Le in Beijing; Denon Martinez in Tokyo; and Derek Colato in Seville, Spain.

The scholarships, named for Emanuel Cleaver II of Missouri’s 5th District, are part of nearly $3 million in study abroad grants provided through the council’s Global Navigator Scholarship program, designed to break down barriers of cost, curriculum and culture.

“Lincoln College Prep Academy students are at the top of their classes — yet most may never have the chance to study abroad. We want to change this,” James Pellow, council president and CEO, said Friday in a statement announcing the scholarships.

Cleaver, in a statement, praised the students and the program: “It is a remarkable opportunity for these students to see the vast and culturally diverse world in which we live.”

The Lincoln Prep students will be honored at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the school, 2111 Woodland Ave.

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Lincoln Prep students win Emanuel Cleaver scholarships to study abroad."