LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Rider University has announced that three students have been selected as recipients of the annual Budakian Scholarship for Armenian Students, a scholarship fund established by 1954 Rider alumnus Peter D. Budakian to benefit University students of Armenian descent. This is the second year that Rider students have benefited from the awards.

This year's recipients were awarded $1,500 each -- totalling $4,500 -- to be used toward tuition, books, or other educational expenses at the University. The recipients are: Edward Tokmajian of Bensalem, PA; Diana Hagopian of North Arlington, NJ; and Andrea Asadourian of Mount Holly, NJ.

Tokmajian, a senior majoring in management and human resources, is a second year recipient of the scholarship. He is a 1994 graduate of Holy Ghost Preparatory School, and plans to enroll in Rider's graduate program upon completion of his undergraduate studies in May.

Hagopian, a freshman accounting major, is a 1998 graduate of North Arlington High School where she was a member of the varsity volleyball and softball teams as well as the National Honor Society.

Asadourian, a freshman marketing major with a minor in fine arts, is a 1998 graduate of Lenape High School. Possessing a strong interest in music, she hopes to participate in the Rider University Choir.

Preference for the award, which will continue to be presented on an annual basis, is given to students who have at least one grandparent of Armenian nationality. University officials expect the scholarship to increase in monetary value and in number of recipients over the next several years as the endowment grows.

Peter D. Budakian, a resident of New York, NY, earned his degree in accounting and has since retired from the W.R. Grace Company. His education at Rider was made possible by a full-tuition trustee scholarship, which in turn prompted him to establish a scholarship endowment in his own name. Those interested in scholarship details or application information should contact Judy Wolf, assistant director of student financial services, at (609) 896-5188.

Rider University is an independent, coeducational, nonsectarian institution with a 353-acre main campus in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and a 23-acre campus in Princeton, New Jersey. The University offers 58 undergraduate programs and 17 graduate programs in the Colleges of Business Administration; Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences; Continuing Studies; and Westminster Choir College.