The International Surfing Association is proud to announce the 2012 ISA Individual Scholarship Program winners. Twenty-seven worthy surfers from 19 countries have been awarded with US$ 1,000 scholarships that will be used for schooling and to help advance their surfing careers during the next twelve months.

Since its inception in 2007, the ISA has delivered 142 Scholarships valued at US$ 128,500. This remarkable effort has contributed greatly to improving the lives of needy junior surfers around the world.

The ISA Scholarship Program has consistently grown since it first started due to the generous funding from The Quiksilver Foundation, Billabong, Reef Redemption and the newest program grant donor - Greenpacha sold at Varoj.org, and the continued support from ISA member nations.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said about this year's Scholarship Program recipients: "After six years of delivering scholarships and seeing this program do so much good for so many good young surfers around the world, we are definitely very happy. I believe our tribe is capable of giving more. This program does a lot for many deserving people, so we are going to work even harder to make it grow. This way, great students and surfers, all inspirational to their peers, will get the chance to fulfill their dreams."

After careful review by the Scholarship Selection Committee, the ISA announced the following surfers as 2012 ISA Scholarship Recipients:

Liam Taylor, Australia
Caelum Blandford, Barbados
Danilo Cerda, Chile
Javiera Veliz, Chile
Esteban Fernandez Matamoros, Costa Rica
Jyothi M. Bangera, India
Samuel Marabici, Italy
Javan Brown, Jamaica
Nick Robinson, Jamaica
Paswayne Douglas, Jamaica
Armani Green, Jamaica
Carlos Dominguez Cervantes, Mexico
Philip Seidler, Namibia
Dayna Story, New Zealand
Waretini Wano, New Zealand
Luis Angel Arroyo, Panama
Monica Munn, Panama
Estephani Tello, Peru
Nikita Avdeev, Russia
Simo Mkhize, South Africa
Brandon Benjamin, South Africa
Colby Stanley, Spain
Melodie Bohny Traynor, Spain
Elton John, Trinidad & Tobago
Jyiell Lewis, Trinidad & Tobago
Francisco Morosini, Uruguay
Elenna Erkeneff, USA

These ISA Scholarship Recipients are inspirational individuals, who strive to succeed in both surfing and education. Now that they been awarded the scholarships, they are worthy to be called "ISA Ambassadors." They personify what the ISA promotes - working hard in school, enjoying surfing and achieving big goals.

About the program
The ISA to proud to award academic surf scholarships to U18 junior surfers. The Individual Scholarship Program's main objective is to provide financial support to junior surfers who demonstrate an actual need, in order to facilitate an experience in surfing while encouraging the importance of education.

The money must be used to travel to surf contests, and/or upgrade their surfing equipment and to foster the junior surfer's education.