The Taco Bell Foundation for Teens’ Graduate to Go Scholars program, along with NBA Cares, awarded Karen Batani, 17, from Westminster, Calif., a $30,000 scholarship after her NBA player, Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors, won the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. The challenge was held during the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, presented by State Farm.
Batani was one of five teens from the Southern California Boys & Girls clubs competing for the scholarship and paired with Skills Challenge participants.
Batani was selected as a Graduate to Go Scholar for her leadership qualities and inspiration to her peers both in and out of school. Batani is involved in her school's student government, is a member of the varsity basketball team and tutors younger children at the Boys & Girls Club of Westminster. She also participates in many community service events. She won second place in the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens Graduate to Go Business Camp for her ideas on how to help end the genocide in Darfur.
Each Graduate to Go Scholar was selected from applications received through the Boys & Girls clubs in the Southern California area and then paired with an NBA player in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.
The challenge featured five top NBA players, four of whom were selected through an online fan vote during the "Choose Your Squad" promotion on NBA.com. The players competed in an obstacle course consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. The two with the fastest times advanced to the finals to compete for the championship.
The teen matched with the winner of the challenge won the $30,000 scholarship; the teen whose NBA player won second place received a $10,000 scholarship; and the remaining three finalists each won a $5,000 scholarship.
