PHOENIX – Years of academic dedication and hard work paid dividends for nearly 50 John C. Birdlebough High School seniors who received scholarships during a recent ceremony held in the auditorium.
JCB Principal Greg Molloy welcomed the audience of parents, family, friends and community members who were on hand to congratulate the award winners.
He offered words of encouragement and praise to the scholarship recipients and noted that the honorees deserved all the accolades they received.
“Where the world takes them, no one knows for certain,” Molloy said. “One thing that is for certain is that they’re terrific students.”
In addition to the students’ academic successes, funds were also awarded based on volunteer service, character, community involvement and desire to make a difference. Those traits translated into roughly $50,000 for the scholarship winners.
According to Dollars for Scholars Committee member Tim Burke, representing the Phoenix chapter, the funds can be used toward tuition, books, room and board.
No matter the amount, each contribution is significant, he said.
“For some, it may be the difference between going to college or not,” Burke said, noting that the local DFS chapter provided funding for 18 scholarships this year.
Along with the DFS awards, there were 33 privately funded scholarships issued during the ceremony.
Those scholarships were made available due to contributions of local residents, business owners and service organizations.
“Phoenix is truly a special place,” Molloy said. “The investment our community makes in our youth in unparalleled.”
Scholarship and Senior Key recipients included Stephanie Cogan, Brianna Ball, Zachary Stellingwerf, Emma Discenza, Jordan Jock, Zachary Van Gorder, Alexis Bowering, Marisa Dona, Allison Strang, Jessica Jones, Mattingly Gleason, Abigail Venskus, Connor Thorn, Shaylee Allen, Meaghan Lees, Austin Wilson, Hunter Nerber, Daniel Frawley, Catherine Barnhart, Jacob Pietrowicz, Jolene Zaia, Megan Rowe, Aubrey Borasky, Mackenzie Berube, Eathan Harrington, Zachery Benzel, Christopher Nicolella, Shannon Dolan, Ashly Jewell, Austin Pierce, Derick White, Lauren Porter, Amanda Briggs, Kaitlyn Trudell, Emily Riddell, Christina Murdie, Morgan Stobart, Kellen Arnold, Sarah Hoag, Joshua Dievendorf, Samantha Zerbinos, Zachary Scribner, Tyler Gabriele, Shianne Just, William Hess III, Alexander Brutcher, Michael Sadoski Jr. and Carolynn Woodside.
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