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>> ANNOUNCER: Live from WROC, this is News 8 at 11.
>> ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. Maureen is off tonight. Dozens of Rochester's best
and brightest students are getting a free college education.
>> REPORTER: That's right. The students get a chance to go to RIT this fall as part of
the Rochester City Scholar program, and they get to go at no cost to them or their families.
>> PRESIDENT DESTLER: Congratulations. Welcome to RIT.
>> REPORTER: What a welcome for these incoming RIT freshmen, a party at the president's house.
But these aren't your everyday students. >> ADRON ROBINSON: All along, since he's been
about 8 years old, he's been tinkering with electronics and this is a dream come true
for him. >> REPORTER: Adron Robinson's son Hassan is
one of RIT\'s inaugural class of Rochester City Scholars. The group of 26, some of the
city's best and brightest students, will attend Rochester Institute of Technology for the
next four years for free. >> SUPERINTENDENT JEAN-CLAUDE BRIZARD: If
you think about it, its $122,000 for every student. With 26 students, you do the math,
this is close to $2 million being offered to kids on scholarship to one of the best
universities in the country. You can\'t buy this kind of access.
>> REPORTER: To qualify, families had to make less than $60,000 a year. Most of the parents
didn't think they could afford to send their kids to college.
>> PRESIDENT DESTLER: This says that's not true actually. College is very possible its
up to you. You have to work hard, take a college bound curriculum and do well in school, and
if you get admitted to a good school like RIT then money won\'t be the thing that stops
you. >> REPORTER: Adron says the program is nothing
short of a miracle for his family. As one of 10 children, he never had the chance to
attend a university. >> ADRON ROBINSON: It's a dream come true
to have my son going here. It's like he's accomplishing what I didn't do and its a fulfillment
of myself, through him. >> PRESIDENT DESTLER: I want them to dream
big, okay? I want them to think there's nothing that they can't do. I want them to think about
not just going to college, but start thinking about medical school or law school or graduate
school or becoming the next new space scientist or something like that, think big.
>> REPORTER: President Destler believes giving these students a chance at success brightens
the future of our community and our country. RIT administrators say the goal is to promote
diversity and strengthen RIT relationship with the Rochester School District.