OSWEGO – The Oswego Rotary Club continues its long tradition of presenting scholarships to four outstanding 2021 graduates of the Oswego City School District.
The action marked the 94th anniversary of the club’s founding and continued its collaboration with the Richard S. Shineman Foundation and Pathfinder Bank, whose financial contributions help support the awards.
According to club President Mark DuFore, “The members of the Oswego Rotary Club and our partners are proud to present these valuable scholarships to these deserving seniors. Benjamin Franklin said: ‘An investment in education pays the best interest.’ We wish them all much success as they begin the next chapter of their education.”
The Richard S. Shineman Oswego Rotary Scholarship honors the memory of Richard Shineman, long-time member of Oswego Rotary Club and advocate for the philanthropic work of Rotary around the world. Regionally, his namesake foundation now serves to improve the quality of life in Oswego County and Central New York by providing financial assistance to not-for-profit organizations.
The Shineman Scholarship was given to Angelin Reyes, daughter of Miguel Reyes of Puerto Rico and custodial daughter of Richard and Laurie Yule of Oswego. Her high school studies have been completed partly in Oswego and partly in Puerto Rico. She participated in the engineering club and was co-secretary of the science club. She also served on the artist team for the science club and painted planetarium walls and did other refurbishments. She was a member of the class presidential team at her high school in Puerto Rico. Reyes will study business at Cayuga Community College while continuing to work as a shift manager at KFC.
The Charles E. Riley Oswego Rotary Scholarship remembers the founding president (1927–1930) of the Oswego Rotary Club and former superintendent of the Oswego City School District and was presented to Connor Mulcahey. He is the son of Jim and Renee Mulcahey. His school activities included cross country, track and field, wrestling, and football, as well as Battle of the Books, chorus, and orchestra, including all county orchestra. Mulcahey’s community activities included work for the City of Oswego, Saint Mary’s altar server, save football fundraiser, and Legislative Day. He received numerous awards including top 25 student, highest honors, citizenship award, altruism award and awards from several colleges including RIT Innovation and Creativity Award, Keuka College George Ball Community Achievement Award, and merit scholarship from SUNY Oswego. Mulcahey plans to attend SUNY Oswego to study computer and electrical engineering.
Gianna Ruggio, daughter of Jennifer and Robert Ruggio received the Ralph & Dorothy Faust Oswego Rotary Scholarship. Faust served as president of the Oswego Rotary Club (1934–1935) and was formerly principal of Oswego High School. Ruggio’s school activities included soccer, lacrosse, National Honor Society, student council, Key Club, SADD, ski club, and New Vision Allied Health. In the community Ruggio worked as a food server at Bishop’s Commons, Barlow’s Concessions, St Jude’s letter writing for donations, kindergarten volunteer at Leighton, and volunteer at Saint Joseph Church and Oswego Buc Boosters. She received several awards including first academically in New Vision Allied Health class, merit awards in living environment, earth science, and algebra, and highest academic standing in grades 9 through 12. She completed 100 hours of community service and created a stained-glass design for display at Mexico Point. Ruggio will attend the University of Buffalo to study biomedical science.
The Anthony J. Murabito Oswego Rotary Scholarship is given in memory of the former principal of Oswego High School, an active member of the Oswego Rotary Club for more than 51 years, club president (1967 – 1968), and a leader and advocate for the Rotary scholarship program. The award is given to Tyler May, son of Michele May. He played and captained junior varsity and varsity soccer and was a member of Key Club International and the National Honor Society for three years each. He was also the invited speaker at honors presentation to incoming Freshmen and their parents for three years. May’s athletics extended well beyond high school. He played with Syracuse club soccer teams for five years, was named to Global Premier Soccer regional state cup team in 2018 and was named its captain the following year. He served as Oswego Youth Soccer Association volunteer coach and referee and was a BUC booster volunteer for three years. May was employed at Wayne Drugs for over a year. He also delivered prescriptions and groceries to elderly, immunocompromised and transportation-challenged family, friends, and neighbors during the pandemic. May achieved highest honors and was offered the George Eastman Young Leaders Scholarship to the University of Rochester. He plans to enroll at SUNY Cortland to study biomedical science.
The Oswego Rotary Club, founded 94 years ago, raises money for scholarships through members’ dues and contributions, occasional memorial gifts, and fundraising projects. The club, with financial support from Pathfinder Bank, hosts the annual Top 100 Dinner — excepting 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic — to honor the accomplishments of the 25 top academic students in each of the four classes at Oswego High School. The club has established an endowment fund to help underwrite the scholarship program in the future. Gifts and bequests will be held in perpetuity, with only the earnings used for awards.
Members of the Scholarship Committee this year are Selma Sheridan, Carrie Penoyer, Randy Zeigler, Terrence Gorman, and Vernon Tryon. Anyone having questions about membership in the Oswego Rotary Club, or its scholarship program is invited to call Vernon Tryon, Scholarship Committee chairman, at 315-343-9692, or email [email protected].
missing or outdated ad config