Over $218,000 In Scholarships Awarded
The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Scholarship Foundation has continued to fulfill its mission of helping local students achieve their goals of a higher education by distributing over $218,000 in scholarship aid to 117 deserving students.
Throughout the year, members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood community generously contributed to the Foundation’s “Dollars for Students Campaign,” which distributed $25,000 to various high school and college students who are residents of Scotch Plains or Fanwood and have demonstrated both impressive academic achievement and financial need.
Some of these Dollars for Students awards are named in honor of board members of the Foundation (in parentheses). The high school students who received such awards are: Luke Kalafat (Lee Stein), Bridget Hernandez (Joseph Nagy), Sean Stuart (Eleanor Kramps), Ray Dickscheid (Recipient Funded), Drew Bartley (Henry Schweiring), and Andrew Giuliani (John Lawson). Additional high school students who received Dollars for Students awards are Yuki Qiu, Natasha Vega, Maya Viscardi- Carelse, Isabelle Verrico, Disha Debnath, and Orencia Casimiro. Recipients currently attending college who received Dollars for Students awards are: Will Felcone, Katelyn Gaulin, Emily Friscia.
In addition, several individuals, families, and community organizations have entrusted funds to the Foundation’s stewardship. Each scholarship has its own donor-specified criteria which must be met. This year, local students have received the following awards: The Adrian Andrews Memorial Scholarship, Kyle Brainard; The Besson Family Memorial Scholarships, Ethan White and Ava Niemczyk; The Coach Brez Memorial Scholarship, Giovanni Marra and Elizabeth Bedatsky;The Doris and George Bryan Memorial Scholarship & Award, Michael Grill; The Philip Cappio Memorial Scholarship, Orencia Casimiro; The Fred Chemidlin, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, Minahal Azhar; The Carol B. Choye Memorial Scholarship, Jacob Jones; The Class of 1967 – First to Receive, First to Give Back Scholarship, Christopher Chan; The JJ Cunningham Memorial Scholarship, Diego Gutierrez and Chloe Burfeindt; The Daidone Family Scholarship, Matthew Nervi; The Mauro and Rulene DiFrancesco Scholarship Award, Sarah Paolella; The Mauro and Rulene DiFranesco Saint Bartholomew Student Scholarship, Dominic Souza; The Rocco & Camille Dinizo Memorial Scholarship, Kiley Wirth, The Frank & Eileen DiNizo Memorial Scholarship, Stephanie Muenzen; The Karen and Joseph Franzone Memorial Scholarship, Emma Alchus; Frank Fumosa Memorial Scholarship, Alec Choi; The Marco M. Giasullo Memorial Scholarship, Anthony Malta; The Girl Scout Scholarship, Morgan Virgil; The Doris Koues Memorial Scholarship, Isabella Calamusa; The George Kurek Memorial Scholarship, Natasha Vega; The William and Ruth Linge Scholarships, Henrique Barbosa and Briana Talmadge; The John and Marie Losavio Memorial Scholarship, Kaelan Mattos; The Lyght Family Scholarship, Naa Dei Ashie and Davyd Dasi; The John J. Maggs Memorial Scholarship, Olivia Eckstine; The William J. McGinn Memorial Scholarship, Disha Debnath; The Courtney E. Metzger Memorial Scholarship, Olivia Stahley; The Moore-Skillman Memorial Scholarships, Syona Dalvi and Joyce Abadeir; The Katherine Newcomer Memorial Scholarship,Isabella Calamusa; Charlie Newman Memorial Scholarship, Veronica Legerme; James O’Hara Powers Memorial Scholarships, Sean Ferrone and Lily Camacho; The Laurie Prusik Memorial Scholarship, Dara Hsu; The Dr. Muriel H. Ramsden Memorial Scholarship, Haley Warren; The Terry Riegel Scholarship, Nicolas Champagne; The Arlene Riegel Scholarship, Naa Dei Ashie; Dental Care Associates Robert and Joann Scalera Memorial Scholarship,Dylan Fei; The LaVerne Schnell Memorial Scholarship, Grace Germinder; The School One Retired Elementary Educators and Staff Scholarship, Annie Hansen; Scotch Plains Recreation Department Scholarship,Davyd Dasi; Scotch Plains-Fanwood Field Hockey Club Scholarship, Alicia Murphy, Olivia Stahley, Maya Viscardi-Carelse; The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Lacrosse Club Scholarship, Robert Principe, Mireille Silva and Alicia Murphy; The SPFHS Black Student Union Scholarship, Julian Washington and Jada Montgomery; The Nancy Hart Schott MemorialScholarship, Brigette Priel; The SPFHS Italian Club Scholarship, Stephanie Muenzen; The James R. Sochan Memorial Scholarship, Kaelan Mattos; The Franklin Maine and Helen McConnell Spooner Scholarship, Christina Wang; The Jeffrey Spring Memorial Scholarship, Leah Herb; The Lina Suriano Memorial Scholarship, Nicolas Sbordi; The Kerri Villane Sunshine Scholarship, Christopher Chan and Isabelle Verrico; The Mary Carolyn Werts Wood Class of 1951 Memorial Scholarship, Matteo Apsotol.
In addition, the following students have received awards new to The Foundation this year: SPF-IU Scholarship,Jay Slack; Nick Palumbo, M.D. Memorial Scholarship,Katie Ramalho; SPFHS Marching Band Scholarship, Emmet Fynes; The Patrick’s Downtown Race To Summer 5K Scholarship, in Memory of Patrick J. Allocca, Gabrielle Smulewitz.
The Class of 1960 Memorial Scholarship continues to fund non-academic expenses including on-campus housing, room and board at Rutgers University for four years. This award has an approximate annual value of $18,000. Recipients currently receiving this scholarship include Camila Cabrera (2022), Lindsey Bartley (2021) and Joseph Marta (2020). The monies received for this scholarship are not included in the total dollar amount awarded listed above, as the amount to be awarded will be determined during the school year.
One of the Foundation’s deepest partnerships is with the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary Club and the Rotary-Garbe Foundation, which funds numerous generous scholarships administered by the SPF Scholarship Foundation. The Rotary-Garbe Foundation Scholarships, awarded for four years, went to Elijah Ware, Jessica Gallagher and Ava Mach (2023); Victoria Solsky, Maeve Kahora and Isabella Segara (2022); Clare McGuinness, Sabrina Ngu and Dennis Gannon (2021); John Veglia, Kyle Marquardt and Sol Casimiro (2020).The William Mullin Memorial Scholarship, awarded for four years, went to Mikaya Mari (2023), Stephanie Brown (2022), Alexa Vierschilling (2021), and Isabella Richardson (2020). The following students received The Ethel Perkins Memorial Scholarship, awarded for four years: Madison Diaz (2023), Chloe Howell (2022), John Michael Cristobal (2021), and Sarai Romero (2020). The David E. Ringle Memorial Valedictorian Award was awarded to Riley Bhatia, and the Salutatorian Awardwas awarded to Emma Schramm. The Robert H. Kraus Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Braden Griffith; the Dr. Richard W. Dobyns Rotary Scholarship was awarded to Michael Grill.
The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Scholarship Foundation began its work in 1966 with a donation from the SPFHS PTA – a partnership that flourishes to this day. Each school’s PTA contributes at least two scholarships to graduates who have attended their schools. The SPF PTA Council also awards scholarships to SPFHS graduates. In addition, the Scholarship Chairperson for each PTA serves on the Foundation’s Screening Committee.
The Brunner PTA scholarships this year were awarded to: Rushil Damania (Dr. Albert DeSousa Memorial Scholarship), Jordana Reisberg (Brunner PTA Scholarship) and Lexi Chouinard (Brunner PTA Scholarship).
The following scholarships were awarded by the PTA to former students at J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School:Carol Patten Memorial Scholarship, Anna Soifer; Michelle Crisafulli Memorial Scholarship, Kelsey Tse; Laurie Prusik Memorial Scholarship, Ethan Filler andBeth Mulvaney Memorial Scholarship, Sophie Meinke.
From the Evergreen Elementary School PTA, the following scholarships were awarded: Dr. Beverlee Kaminetzky Memorial Scholarship, Daniel O’Brien;Kehs-Aakjer Memorial Scholarship, Sofia Berkman; Mary “Chickie” Giraud Memorial Scholarship, Andres Lopez.
The McGinn Elementary School PTA awarded its Mariana Cassidy Excellence Awards to Meredith Kenoff and Owen Higinbotham.
The Nettingham Middle School PTA’s McTB Scholarshipwas awarded to Ava Billotto, and the Dave Cilio Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Gabriella Virga.
The PTA Council Awards: Manya Ungar Scholarship,Sam Klausner; Dr. Margaret Hayes Scholarship, Lily Friebely; Dr. Carol B. Choye Scholarship, Riley Vierschilling;
From the School One Elementary School PTA, the following scholarships were awarded: James V. Cerasa Scholarship, Matthew Murray; Jeffrey Grysko Scholarship, Sophia Gallo.
The SPFHS PTA awarded the Robert Adams, Jr. Scholarship to Gavin Lesnevich and the Dr. Terry K. Riegel Scholarship to Zoe Quraishi.
Finally, the Terrill Middle School PTA awarded the John C. Foulks Scholarships to Abbie Sapira and Charlotte Gumpel.
Congratulations to these outstanding scholars and our deepest thanks to all of our partners who have stood by us for 57 years. For further information, please visit our website spfscholarshipfoundation.org or contact the Foundation’s president, Michelle Wyrwa at spfscholarshipfoundation@gmail.com
