Allentown Diocese to name scholarship recipients
Fifteen area grade school students and two Marian High School seniors will be among those honored on Saturday, March 20, during the Bishop's Scholar Society Awards Ceremony held by the Allentown Diocese at DeSales University, Center Valley.
The Most Rev. John O. Barres, Bishop of Allentown, will present 98 eighth grade students from Catholic elementary schools around the diocese $1,000 scholarships to one of the diocesan high schools. In addition, 16 seniors at the diocese's high schools will receive $500 scholarships for post-secondary education and plaques declaring them Bishop's Catholic Scholars.
At Marian, the Scholars are Michael Mulligan and Devin Parambo, who were selected based on their academics, school involvement, Catholic faith and community service. In addition to the $500 in scholarship money, they will receive plaques from the bishop.
Fourteen eighth graders from the Marian feeder schools and one student from St. John Neumann Regional School, Palmerton, who will attend Central Catholic High School, Allentown, will be among the 98 students to receive the $1,000 scholarships. The latter is Nathaniel Sarmir.
The students who plan to attend Marian are: Madyson Dyer, Our Lady of the Angels Academy, Lansford; Ashton Galasso, SS. Peter and Paul School, Lehighton; Mary Grega, McAdoo Catholic School; Michael Grega, Weatherly Middle School; Rebecca Hartman, SS. Peter and Paul School; Kelsey Jurst, Trinity Academy; Alexis Makowiec, McAdoo Catholic; Kassandra Mantz, St. Joseph Regional Academy; Nicholas Mayernik, St. Jerome Regional School, Tamaqua; Christine McCord, Trinity Academy; James Ostergaard, St. Jerome Regional Academy; Emily Sofranko, St. Joseph Regional Academy; Olivia Sposato, McAdoo Catholic; and John Swierczek, Our Lady of the Angels Academy.
The scholarship recipients were selected based on their academic achievement, school, parish and community activities, and recommendations from their principal, an eighth grade teacher and their pastor.
The keynote speaker for the awards ceremony will be the Rev. Allen Hoffa, assistant pastor of the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown, and a chaplain at ACC.
Each of the scholarship winners was asked to write an essay on "Character, Service and Catholic Education." The winning essay will be read at the ceremony and its author will receive a special award from Bishop Barres.
