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Salem Community Foundation awards over $117K in scholarships

By Morgan Ahart 4 min read
The Salem Community foundation distributed $117,200 in scholarship funds to deserving Salem students pursuing their higher education as part of the 32nd year of the foundation’s scholarship program Friday. Pictured from left in the front row are Julia Yuhanik, Molly Hopple, Laurel Stewart, Erin Malysa, Kelly Hutton, Emma Griffith, Alyssa Bricker, Justine Farley, Zoe DeLand, Emma DeLand, Regina Kornbau, Kaitlyn Haas and Emily Weikart. Pictured from left in the second row are Salem Community Foundation Chief Operating Officer Brittany Maniscalco, Lily Secrest, Carlee Best, Halle Cochran, Sydney Mercer, Elena Economous, Ellysa Exline, Annie Davidson, Makenna While, Olivia Knauf and Nicholas Colbert. Pictured from left in the rear row are Salem Community Foundation Board of Directors President John Tonti, and Salem Community Foundation Board of Directors members Rick Lutsch, and Lou Ramunno, Cameron Christopher, Wilson Corbisello, Robert Brownlee, Samuel Murray, Josiah Haas, Andrew Zvaritch, Daniel Forrider, Board Member Shane Franks, Board Secretary George Hays, and Board Member Joe Sedzmak. Scholarship recipients not pictured include: Chloe Chappell, Amaya Martin, Adam Wilson, Lucas Ziegler, Ian Ziegler, Logan Zimmerman, Paige Bailey, Landon Cooper, Elijah Shelhart, Andrew Wilson, Blaize Exline, Davin Koskinen, Jadon Crouch, Christopher Lefever, Erica Lefever, Benjamin Neville, Katie Reese, Laura Reese, and Jonathon Strawn. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

SALEM -- The Salem Community Foundation has awarded $117,200 in scholarships as part of the foundation's annual scholarship program, according to a press release.

"The Salem Community Foundation is grateful for the individuals and families that have established scholarship funds over the years. This Foundation is entrusted with investing and administering these scholarship funds fulfilling the donor's specific intentions for which the named scholarship fund was originally established," said Salem Community Foundation Board of Directors President John Tonti.

This marks the 32nd continuous year of direct financial support to community students pursuing higher education as part of the program, with 51 recipients. Since the program's inception in 1991 $984,700 has been awarded to deserving students to meet the needs of college sophomores, juniors and seniors whose initial scholarship dollars following high school graduation had been discontinued.

The program is co-chaired by Tonti and Salem Community Foundation Chief Operating Officer Brittany Maniscalco, who review all applications, transcripts and essays with the assistance of the members of the Scholarship Committee including Karl Getzinger, George Hays, Audrey Null, Lou Ramunno and Joe Sedzmak.

This year's recipients all received financial awards in the amount of $1,800 to $2,400 made possible through endowment funds including: the Evelyn Lease Fund established in 1969; the Sam and Bernice Keener fund established in 1991; the Salem Community Foundation Scholarship Fund established in 1991; the Avanell E. Beck Fund established in 1992; the Lyle and Mary Biehler Fund established in 1993; the Salem Label/Menegos Fund established in 1994; the George and Jeannette Emeny Fund established in 1995; the Betty Ruth Ulicny Fund established in 1999; the Hart/Litty Fund established in 2001; The Bruce P. and Eileen J. Gordon Fund established in 2010; the Herbert J. Hansell Fund established in 2015; and the Jacqueline E. Troll Fund established in 2016.

The Salem Community Foundation Scholarship Fund is itself a combination of 13 principal funds brought together according to the wishes of the donors to assist Salem's collegiate students including: George Theiss, Paul and Olive Astry, J. G. Smith, Zella Litty, Louise Bunn, the Salem Scholarship Fund, Freda Sweitzer Legacy, R. B. McArtor, C. Harold Musser, Ethel Beall, Anna Thomas, F. R. Mathews, Mary Ellen Pizzino, and the Corso family.

"We encourage students to share information about this scholarship with family and friends. Receiving scholarship dollars from Salem Community Foundation's named funds is a tremendous opportunity for college students in the Salem area," said Maniscalco.

Each year the foundation also distributes the Ministerial Scholarship, made possible through the eponymous fund established by an anonymous donor in 2008 who "recognized the financial impact of a career in the ministry." This scholarship offers financial support to those individuals pursuing a career in the ministry, Christian education, youth ministry, or a closely related field, that "will be spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Nine students were selected to receive the Ministerial Scholarship this year including Jadon Crouch, Christopher Lefever, Erica Lefever, Benjamin Neville, Katie Reese, Laura Reese, Jonathon Strawn and Andrew Zvaritch from Allegheny Wesleyan College, and Daniel Forrider from Liberty University.

The annual scholarship program is just one of many such programs to support the community that the foundation has undertaken since it began as a public charitable trust in 1966. The foundation continues to work diligently with local partners to improve the quality of life of Salem residents by supporting a wide range of area programs, projects, and scholarships.

The Scholarship Committee encourages individuals and families to consider making a difference in the lives of deserving college students. According to the release, a scholarship fund can be structured to benefit students at any education level, or even for a specific college. To learn more about the process of creating a scholarship fund, either as a way to help a student further their education or memorialize a loved one, call the Salem Community Foundation office at 330-332-4021.

mahart@mojonews.com

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