Well done, ANA

High School graduation is just around the corner for many students around the country.

They will be heading off to college, the military, to jobs, or other training.

Yesterday, the American Numismatic Association announced that Tyler Rusnak of Villa Park, Ill., was given the very first ANA College Scholarship.

The amount is $1,000, which will not go far these days in covering college costs, but the gesture is huge symbolically.

It shows that ANA is a welcoming organization for young people with high aspirations.

Rusnak’s background shows how important numismatics has been in making him a well rounded person.

He has been to two Summer Seminars and is planning to attend a third.

His writing was recognized last year when he received the Q. David Bowers Young Numismatist Literary Award for his article “Wreaths on Coins: Symbols of America.”

He also picked up the Alan Herbert Exhibiting Award in 2014.

The ANA says that his school named him student of the quarter for various subjects three times, he went with his math team to the state championships the last two years and he was also part of the Illinois Science Olympiad.

He has chosen biology as his future field of study.

This is all exemplary.

It should induce others to apply for the award next year.

One qualification for which Rusnak should be congratulated is his perfect score on the ACT, but his personal triumph I would rather bury in the small print because it will not be helpful to the scholarship program if it appears to require a perfect ACT score to qualify. That will deter applications rather than attract them.

Rod Gillis, ANA education director, is quoted as saying, “The ANA is extremely proud that Tyler Rusnak is the first recipient of an ANA College Scholarship. He is an accomplished numismatist, an academic scholar and a fine young man.”

To this I will simply add a well done.

Thanks are owed by all ANA members to Brian Fanton, ANA YN Committee chair, and President Walter Ostromecki Jr., for funding this first award.

It is planned that future scholarships will be paid for by YN auctions held at the ANA’s Summer Seminar and through other donations.

The ANA will begin to take applications for the 2016 ANA College Scholarship in January 2016.

Spread the word. We all should encourage the widest possible field of applications.