Illinois High School Senior Bags $10,000 Scholarship Through Gaming

Bringing his college dreams just a little closer, Eric Martina took home the $10,000 top award at ScholarGamers.com’s first scholarship competition. He faced-off in a nail biting series of online games against 14 other students at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort on January 14, earning a high score of 390,000.  The finalists made the grade among 7,500 online competitors across the country and represent a broad cross-section of American students united in their desire to secure money for college through a nationwide video game competition.

Ultimate gamer Martina, known by screen name “etmartina,” is a senior at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, IL. He is interested in continuing his studies in a medical field at a Big 10 university. Erik Leiden from Avon Lake, OH won the second place $7500 scholarship with a score of 363,170, and Charles Coombs Esmail from Whitehall, PA nabbed the third place $5,000 award with a score of 271,700.  The remaining 12 finalists each took home a scholarship of $500 as well as the memory of a very distinctive experience.

Launched in November 2010, ScholarGamers.com leverages American students’ favorite leisure activity – video games – for a chance to earn money to pay for college. 

“It’s very gratifying to see our vision come to fruition and award the first of our scholarships, lightening the burden of educational financing for 15 students,” said Angelo Tartaro, founder and CEO, ScholarGamers.com. “But it’s even more satisfying to meet with this terrific group of students and parents face-to-face.  Uniformly supportive of our mission, they are highly-motivated to invest in their educational futures, and we wish them all well.”

ScholarGamers.com next regular round began on January 1 and runs through February 28, awarding ten scholarships.  Expanding its audience, any high school, trade school or college student aged 13 and up is eligible to register for the competition at ScholarGamers.com.

ScholarGamers.com scholarships are deposited into a 529 plan for each designated winner.  Competitors are only eligible to win once. ScholarGamers.com plans to award more than 100 scholarships in 2011.