American Dream Scholarships Awarded To Queens Grads

Commerce Bank recently announced the recipients of its annual American Dream Scholarship program, which awards $1,000 to local graduating seniors who both achieve academic excellence and serve the community.

Six Queens residents who are graduating from high schools in the borough received Commerce Bank's American Dream Scholarships.

+Tatiana Echeverry, an Elmhurst resident, a graduate from Long Island City H.S., Echeverry was president of ASPIRA and trainer of special projects and operations in the J.R.O.T.C.

+Helena Hobbs, a Laurelton resident, graduated from Aviation H.S. She plans to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida and major in aerospace engineering. The salutatorian of her class, throughout high school, Hobbs was an air traffic control intern at J.F.K. Airport

+Marissa Lang, a Forest Hills resident, graduated from the Bronx High School ofScience and was president of the student body. All through high school, Lang was active in basketball, and band.

+Joseph Francis Lin, a Bayside resident, graduated from Townsend Harris H.S. and plans to attend New York University and major in international relations. Throughout high school, Lin was active in school plays, the Scrabble™ Club and Art Club and the New York State Science Honor Society.

+Maryana Pleskanka, a Ridgewood resident, graduated from Bayside H.S. She plans to attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison and major in liberal arts. Pleskanka was active in the Model UN, the debate team and tutoring. She was vice president of the Arista National Honor Society.

+John Restrepo, a Flushing resident, graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo H.S. Restrepo plans on attending Queens College in Flushing, and majoring in Spanish education. Throughout high school, he was active in Eagle Scouts, camping, and tutoring at the Boys' Club.

The American Dream Scholarships Program awarded scholarships to 225 community service oriented high school seniors within the bank's market area of more than 430 branches. This year, nearly 6,300 students sought scholarships from the program. Commerce donated some $225,000 to the American Dream Scholarships Program.

Commerce Bank, "America's Most Convenient Bank," is a leading retailer of financial services with 400+ convenient branches in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland and Florida. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Commerce Bancorp (NYSE:CBH) has $47.4 billion in assets and in first quarter 2007 achieved a 19 percent increase in core deposits, an 18 percent increase in net loans and total asset growth of 16 percent. For more information about Commerce, go to the company's interactive financial resource center at www.commerceonline. com, or call 888-751-9000.