Access Reports
Tour delivers message of achieving dreams with education
Vince Papale and Pennsylvania Governor Ed
Rendell at the launch of the "Hold Fast to Dreams"
tour at Papale's alma mater, Interboro High School
in Philadelphia, on Sept. 15.
Vince Papale has spent a lifetime beating the odds.
Papale, a longtime Sallie Mae employee, recently completed a promotional tour for Walt Disney Pictures' Invincible, a movie inspired by Papale's life as a high school teacher and part-time bartender who tried out for and made the Philadelphia Eagles team in 1976 at the age of 30.
To coincide with the release of the movie, The Sallie Mae Fund held a five-city tour titled "Hold Fast to Dreams," spotlighting education and its role in fulfilling one's goals. As part of the tour, Papale presented inspirational workshops on his "5 Plays to Win Your Way to College," which are designed to help students in traditionally underserved areas prepare for higher education. At each of the five high schools Papale visited, The Sallie Mae Fund awarded a $10,000 "Hold Fast to Dreams" scholarship to one deserving student.
Recipients of the "Hold Fast to Dreams" scholarships include:
- Jennifer O'Mara, Interboro High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Keyon Diggs, Shabazz High School, Newark, New Jersey
- Jennel Davoren, Jones High School, Orlando, Florida
- Sa'mon Porter, Vashon High School, St. Louis, Missouri
- Jeannette Juarez, Jefferson High School, Los Angeles, California
"Following your dreams is the message that I hope will continue to resonate with today's youth," says Papale. "I have had a remarkable life and I truly am so proud that this story of my life has been told—not from an ego standpoint but because the story itself has meaning for today's youth. It speaks to the power of remaining true to your dreams—to never let failure deter those dreams and, instead, allow it to strengthen your resolve."
For more information, go to www.salliemaefund.org to view the public service announcement that was played in the theaters nationwide and to download Papale's "5 Plays to Win Your Way to College" (PDF, 169KB).
