For NY1's Scholar Athletes, winning on the field, on the court, or in the pool comes just as easy as getting straight As.

But figuring out how to pay for college is a whole different game.

"I'm looking at the college expenses, like my books, dorm supplies because I am moving — it is all a little bit overwhelming," said Scholar Athlete Salma Elsayed, who attends The Young Women's Leadership School of Astoria.

That's where NY1 steps in. This year, Spectrum News NY1 awarded 15 public high school student athletes $1,000 academic scholarships. The program requires that the money be used towards college tuition, room and board, or books.

Now graduates, this year's class of NY1 Scholar Athletes were honored Friday at Brooklyn Borough Hall.

"You have the travel time, you have the practice time, and then you get home and you're like, 'Oh wait, I still have to do my school work,'" NY1 Reporter Roger Clark said at the luncheon. "These folks are not only able to handle all this but handle it in the best possible way. They are good at what they do on the field, they are good at what they do in the classroom, and they are making a name in their communities at the same time."


Throughout the school year, winners were profiled on NY1, celebrating their high school achievements both on and off the court.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams addressed the students at this year's awards luncheon.

"These students are focusing not only on the game on the field, but the game of life, and it is a real win for NY1 and the Department of Education," Adams said.

This year's class of Scholar Athletes was diverse, not in just the sports they played but in the way they spent their time off the field.

From a three-sport star who ranks at the top of her class, to a handballer doubling as the school paper's photographer and reporter, to a basketball power forward running her own baking business, our Scholar Athletes even impressed one another.

"When I look back at this whole event, it is going to amazing to know I was able to immerse myself with other individuals who were just as successful, and it is going to be so heartfelt when I see them be just as successful as I was," said Scholar Athlete Thomas Cheng, who attends Francis Lewis High School.

And now they'll have a little help to get them there.

"If you can do it in high school in New York City, you can do it anywhere," Clark said.