Four students selected from Fayette County high schools were honored with the 2007 Jamal Mashburn Scholarship award on Friday, May 11.

The recipients, Supremme Aryal, Francis Baker and Kevin Rivera-Lozada, all of Henry Clay High School, and Jasmine Hayden, who attends Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, were recognized in a ceremony at the King Alumni House in the Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

The students are the latest participants in a program started by the former Kentucky basketball All-American 15 years ago. After all four complete their high school requirements and meet UK standards for admission, they will receive full tuition to the University of Kentucky or Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington for each year he/she meets the outlined program requirements.

Since the program was established, more than two dozen students from Fayette County high schools have participated in this scholarship program. Applicants for scholarship had to meet a multitude of requirements including grade-point average, educational achievement and financial need.

The new recipients are just completing their freshman year of high school and the university will provide a support system designed to help them meet their goals and objectives, providing mentors, establishing a summer enrichment program and having a continuous monitoring system to assess the academic and social needs of each student.

Mashburn (1991-93) started the scholarship just days after declaring himself eligible for the 1993 NBA Draft and before signing his first professional basketball contract. The $500,000 endowment directly benefits young people in the Lexington community. With recent revisions to the program, students will now be awarded scholarships annually, instead of every two years.

For more information on the Jamal Mashburn Scholarship program, contact Martina Martin at 859.257.6944 or by email at mamart3@uky.edu