Twenty students from twelve different high schools in the area have been awarded a prestigious scholarship through the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, which provides $5,000 per year for each recipient for up to four years to assist with continuing education expenses.
Photo: James F. Swift Scholarship Recipients
1st row (left to right): Tori Kovalchick, Nina Sampogne, Mia Muskey, Ritu Begmi, Elina Joshi, Sofia Flores-Weidner, Elizabeth Stone, Alyssa Cosklo, Chloee Rumford.
2nd row (left to right): Joel Cali, Ava Aulisio, Michael Kazmierczak, Molly White, Gwyneth Serowinski, Olivia Manarchuck, Hannah Carr, Nicholas Guerra.
3rd row (left to right): Tyler Muskey, Owen Morgan, Finley McHale, Riley Clarke, Jacob Vituszynski, Joshua Vituszynski, Ryan Salony, Antonio Pugliese.
Also in photo: Cathy Fitzpatrick, Grants and Scholarship Manager, Scranton Area Community Foundation; Frank Caputo, Grants and Communications Coordinator, Scranton Area Community Foundation; Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO, Scranton Area Community Foundation.
2022 James F. Swift Scholarship recipients missing from photo: Eriledi Fernandez, Eliana King, Dana Mackin, Thomas Milewski, Lexee Risner, and Michael Sewack.
The James F. Swift Scholarship Fund has awarded over $3.7 million since 2008, benefiting over 280 local students to date. Created in 2002 through a gift by Mr. James F. Swift to the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund provides support for higher education for students graduating from high schools in Lackawanna County. Following Mr. Swift’s death in 2006, the Scranton Area Community Foundation gratefully received a significant gift from his estate to the scholarship fund which has allowed a great number of students from Lackawanna County the opportunity to pursue their academic and professional goals through higher education.
The scholarship aims to provide an ongoing stream of matriculation at Lackawanna County colleges and universities. It is the goal of the Scranton Area Community Foundation to award 75% of the scholarships to students who plan to attend institutions of higher learning in the Lackawanna County region.
Scranton Area Community Foundation President and CEO Laura Ducceschi praised the generosity of Mr. Swift, noting “he has left a permanent and enduring legacy for the young people of our region. His scholarship fund makes higher education more attainable for generations of students.”
The Scranton Area Community Foundation is a partner with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) in their Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Program to offer qualifying students additional financial aid. Through PHEAA, these scholarship recipients may be eligible for additional dollars toward their tuition.
In addition to the 20 new recipients, there were 57 James F. Swift Scholarship renewals in 2022. The following students are recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship Renewal in 2022:
Shannon Baransky, Tanner Begin, Jillian Brennan, Cameron Butka, Calista Calabro, Ashley Capone, Sofia Capozzi, Hannah Carr, Ryan Coleman, Andrew Cummings, Ava Decker, James Docalovich, Caitlin Doughton, Collin Ennis, Fione Evans, Marguerite Flynn, Hunter Geise, Nicholas Guerra, Marilyn Hoskins, Matthew Howard, Meghan Keenan, Tori Kovalchick, Korey Kruk, Kristen Lello, Rebecca Lucas, Olivia Manarchuck, Hailey Matechak, Sara McCormack, David McKenney, Tyler Muskey, Gia Occhipinti, Marisol Olivares, Antonio Pugliese, Meredith Purcell, Taralyn Reilly, Michael Rodyushkin, Kayla Rose, Amanda Sakulich, Nina Sampogne, Taylor Seprosky, Gwyneth Serowinski, Gabrielle Snee, Christian Snee, Eric Spivak, Elizabeth Stone, Christopher Talluto, Alexis Tanana, Benjamin Thompson, Makenna Thorpe, Evan Tremback, Maura Turi, Ryan Turlip, Alexandra Valvano, Jacob Vituszynski, Joshua Vituszynski, Stone Wormuth, and Drew Yanni.
For more information on the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Manager of the Scranton Area Community Foundation at 570-347-6203.