For the 34th year the annual Salem Community Foundations Scholarship Program has provided direct monetary support to Salem Scholars pursuing post-secondary education. This year’s scholarship class includes 45 rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are collectively receiving $112,400 in scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year. In addition to the 45 Foundation scholarship recipients,10 students were selected to receive a $3,400 ministerial scholarship this year for a total of 55 students receiving scholarship dollars from Salem Community Foundation. Pictured from left in the rear row are Salem Community Foundation Director Audrey Null, Lainey Haas, Salem Community Foundation Director Karl Getzinger, Salem Community Foundation Director Shane Franks, Salem Community Foundation Director Geoff Goll, Salem Community Foundation Director Mark Equizi, Salem Community Foundation Director John Tonti, and Salem Community Foundation Director Rick Lutsch. Pictured from left to right in the second row are Salem Community Foundation Chief Operating Officer Brittany Maniscalco, Rachel Fowler, Mallory Hudson, Peter Fowler, Allison Gurlea, Blake Quales, Kamryn Rohm, Reese Miller, Dylan Hovanec, Caden Rohm, Makenna Rudy, Collin Helmick, Keegan Mayhew, Ethan Shelhart, Nicholas Colbert, Annika Murray, Skyler Green, and Salem Community Foundation Director Joe Sedzmak. Pictured from left in the front row are Alexandria Murray, Molly Hopple, Jenna McLish, Lauryn Barton, Emma DeLand, Rylie Troy, Dana Griffith, Kade Pasco, Julia Stockton, Bailey Staudt, Kloe Sinsley, and Abby Perry. Not pictured are Krista Barley, Davin Koskinen, Samuel Murray, Tim Stephens, Ian Ziegler, Lucas Ziegler, Andrew Wilson, Hanna Gaither, Sydney Hardy, Cameron Jaquette, Jerika Milhoan, Donald Oesch, Zoie Reed, Sam Walter, Gavin Wilms, Lance Bailey, Scott Colian, Rylee Hutton, Jackson Johnson, Daniel Forrider, Kristen Gessner, Lauren Gessner, Jinsu Kim, Christopher Lefever, Brianna Satterfield, and Andrew Whaples. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

SALEM–The Salem Community Foundation has continued its annual tradition of supporting college students within the community.

For the 34th year the Foundation’s annual scholarship program has provided direct monetary support to Salem scholars continuing their educations at the post-secondary level. This year the Scholarship Committe was comprised of Co-Chairs Salem Community Foundation President John Tonti and Salem Community Foundation Chief Operating Officer Brittany Maniscalco, Karl Getzinger, George Hays, Audrey Null, and Joe Sedzmak, and awarded $112,400 in scholarships to 45 rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors for the 2025-2026 academic year with each receiving financial awards ranging from $1,400 to $2,200. In addition to the 45 Foundation scholarship recipients ten students were selected to receive a $3,400 ministerial scholarship this year for a total of 55 students receiving scholarship dollars from Salem Community Foundation.

Designed to meet the needs “of college sophomores, juniors, and seniors whose initial scholarship dollars following high school graduation had been discontinued,” scholarship awards are granted through endowment funds including: the Evelyn Lease Fund (1969), the Sam and Bernice Keener Fund (1991), the Salem Community Foundation Scholarship Fund (1991), the Avanell E. Beck Fund (1992), the Lyle and Mary Biehler Fund (1993), the Salem Label/Menegos Fund (1994), the George and Jeannette Emeny Fund (1995), the Betty Ruth Ulicny Fund (1999), the Hart/Litty Fund (2001), the Bruce P. and Eileen J. Gordon Fund (2010), the Herbert J. Hansell Fund (2015), the Vange Firestone Memorial Fund (2016), and the Jacqueline E. Troll Fund (2016).

The Salem Community Foundation Scholarship Fund is itself comprised of thirteen principle funds “brought together according to the wishes of the donors,” including funds from 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, Raymond Maurer, Mary Ellen Pizzino, and the Corso family.

The Ministerial Scholarship Fund was endowed in 2008 by an anonymous donor “who recognized the financial impact of a career in the ministry,” to provide financial assistance to individuals looking to enter the fields of the ministry, Christian education, youth ministry, or a closely related field, that will be spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Salem Community Foundation began in January 1966 as a public charitable trust which continues to work with local partners to improve quality of life in Salem by supporting a wide range of programs, projects, and scholarships in the area. The Scholarship Committee encourages individuals and families to consider making a difference in the lives of deserving college students by endowing a scholarship fund which can be structured to benefit students at any education level or specific college.

To learn more about creating a creating a scholarship fund contact Brittany Maniscalco at 330-332-4021.