Gananda Dollars for Scholars Celebrates 25th Anniversary by Awarding over $36,000 to Students
June 13, 2016 -- Gananda Dollars for Scholars recently awarded over 100 scholarships worth $36,550 during a ceremony at Ruben A. Cirillo High School. The scholarships were awarded to 24 members of the Class of 2016, and 14 members of the Class of 2015. The awards are funded by a combination of 50 sponsors, endowments, and Gananda Dollars for Scholars' fundraisers.
Over 150 people attended Gananda Dollars for Scholars' award ceremony, which included guest speaker Jeff Mochan, the sponsor of the Mowers4u Inc. Scholarship. Mochan gave advice to the students as they head off to college and learn about potential fields of study and work. Mochan said, "when you pick a major in college, you want to find something for you that you can be passionate about. Something that you're going to do for your career that you really, really want to do, follow your heart."
Gananda students fill-out a profile and apply for scholarships through Chapternet. Students access the on-line application system through Gananda Dollars for Scholars' website. As an affiliate of Scholarship America, Gananda Dollars for Scholars is able to offer a user-friendly interface that allows students to fill out forms, submit essays, and request transcripts and recommendations. The final piece in the application process is submitting a volunteer log. Students are required to have performed a minimum of 20 hours of community service over their four years of high school. This includes five hours of Gananda Dollars for Scholars' specific activities such as a Phone-a-thon, Caroling for Dollars, Jar Wars, or attendance at monthly meetings.
This year's awardees are:
Kaleigh Block - Niagara University for Chemistry - Performing Arts Boosters Award, Walworth Fire Department Award, Gananda Parents' Association Scholarship, and Invest Your Time Scholarship.
McKenna Cannon-Bailey - SUNY Cortland for Inclusive Childhood Education - Re/Max I ❤ My Hometown Scholarship, Gananda Sports Boosters Award, Joshua Peter Bourgeois Memorial Scholarship, Phone-a-thon Award, and Gananda CSD Distinguished Panther Award.
Brandon Courteau - University of Rochester for Biochemistry - Lyons National Bank Valedictorian Scholarship, Foundations of the Future Award, Gananda Sports Boosters Award, Re/Max I ❤ My Hometown Scholarship, Gananda Performing Art Boosters Scholarship, Boy Scouts of America Troop 167 Eagle Scholarship, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Nicholas Cunningham - Clarkson University for Civil Engineering - Boy Scouts of America Troop 167 Eagle Scholarship, Steinmiller Associates, Inc. Award, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Madeline Donegan - University at Buffalo for Chemical Engineering - Assemblyman Bob Oaks Award, Foundations of the Future Award, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Benjamin Donnan - Virginia Tech for Engineering - Gananda Sports Boosters Award, Baldwin Richardson Foods Scholarship, Ryan J. Loftis Memorial Scholarship, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Joseph Fisher- Nazareth College for Business Management - Hayes and Stone Business Education Scholarship, J.D. Chapman Agency, Inc. Award, and Gananda Youth Lacrosse Scholarship.
Owen Howard - University at Albany for Accounting - Nettie Bullis Prize in Business, Hayes and Stone Business Education Scholarship, Foundations of the Future Award, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Olivia Kraemer - SUNY Brockport for Biology - Macedon Association of Police Officers Award, Macedon Center Twirlette Award, and GDFS 911 Award.
Giulia Mahoney - Clarkson University for Physical Therapy - K and D Disposal Salutatorian Scholarship, Gananda Sports Boosters Award, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Ryan McDowell - Alfred State University for Architecture - Gananda Sports Boosters Award, Joshua Peter Bourgeois Memorial Scholarship, Rich Struzzi Memorial Scholarship, Phone-a-thon Award, Gananda CSD Distinguished Panther Award, and Liebert Family Visual Arts Scholarship.
Daniel Mochan - Washington and Jefferson College for History and Political Science - Palmyra Moose Family Life Center Scholarship, Richard Mann Award, Gananda CSEA Local 859 Scholarship,and Dee Happell Memorial Scholarship.
Jennifer Powell - Mercyhurst Northeast for Nursing - Gananda Sports Boosters Award, Foundations of the Future Award, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Brandon Ptak - Genesee Community College for Nutrition/Fitness - Gananda Gardens Scholarship, and the Golf Club at Blue Heron Hills Scholarship.
Nicole Rink - Duquesne University for Occupational Therapy - Foundations of the Future Award, Drumlin Square Lodge No. 1180 Award, Ruben A. Cirillo Award, Blue Panther Award, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Justin Rooney - University at Buffalo for Biology - Macedon Town Ambulance Corps Scholarship, Get It Straight Orthodontics College Scholarship Award, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Alexis Rowling - Corning Community College for Nursing - Maureen Louise McGary Doway Memorial Scholarship, Walworth Chamber of Commerce WTCC Award, and Walworth Order of the Eastern Star Award.
Seth Schukraft - University at Buffalo for Aerospace Engineering - Boy Scouts of America Troop 167 Eagle Scholarship, Baldwin Richardson Foods Scholarship, Mowers4u Inc. Scholarship, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Monika Sekulovska - Florida State University for Pre-Medicine - Abraham Bullis Prize in Mathematics, Dr. John Guerrieri Award, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Stanton Slepecki - SUNY Oswego for Software Engineering - Gananda Employees Care About Kids Award, and Maureen Louise McGary Doway Memorial Scholarship.
Aleksandra Sprague - Rochester Institute of Technology for Industrial Design - Long Acres Farm Award, Phone-a-thon Award, Emily Paige Bickert Human Spirit Award, and Western Wayne Art Group Thomas McCune Award.
Alexis Stanyard - SUNY Geneseo for Psychology - Luanne D. Palatas Bentzoni and Michael E. Palatas Memorial Award, Susan H. Alexander Memorial Scholarship, and Phone-a-thon Award.
Allison Stark - Slippery Rock University for Early Childhood Education - Gananda Youth Lacrosse Scholarship, Phone-a-thon Award, Walworth Auxiliary Fire Department Award, and Airy Acres Sportsmanship Award.
Stella Van Ness - SUNY Brockport for Liberal Arts - Walworth Grange Award, Physicians Business Solutions Award, and Gananda Community Youth Theatre Award.
Fourteen members of the Class of 2015 who received Phone-a-thon awards last year, received second year Scholarship Plus awards of $200 this year. They are: Zachary Meredith, Brielle Hamel, Daniel Courteau, Annaleigh York, Summer Keovongxay, Garrett Hoteling, Matthew Colbert, Rylin McGee, Paige Nelson, Bethany Riethmeier, Alexander Poulsen, Katilynn White, Sara MacDougall, and Rachael Moore.
If you are interested in sponsoring a scholarship or volunteering with Gananda Dollars for Scholars, please contact the organization at gdfscholars@gananda.org. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month during the school year at 7:00PM in the Ruben A. Cirillo High School library.
