Wallkill East Rotary Continues Scholarship Program in 2025, Awards $12,000 to Pine Bush High School Students
The Wallkill East Rotary Club awarded financial scholarships to six Orange County high school students to support their advanced academic pursuits this coming fall. The scholarship recipients were selected based on a combination of academic achievement, a written essay, demonstrated leadership, initiative, and service to their school and community. All awardees this year resided in either the Towns of Wallkill or Crawford.
“This year it was challenging selecting our scholarship winners,” said Tim Conway, Vocational Service Chair for the Wallkill East Rotary Club. “We received a large number of highly competitive applications -- all with impressive academic and service profiles. Our scholarship committee and general membership are proud to honor these accomplished individuals who are well-suited for their awards. Congratulations to all this year’s winners.”
This year, Here’s Help Staffing and Recruiting, Crystal Run Healthcare, and Pratt & Whitney funded three of the six scholarships awarded, as they joined forces with Wallkill East Rotary. A five-hundred-dollar scholarship was awarded to Jake Pawlowski, a Pine Bush High School senior, to pursue his studies at SUNY Buffalo. “Supporting a local student and future leader was our organization’s goal as we decided to create a Here’s Help scholarship,” said Cathy Parlapiano, President, Here’s Help.
Other scholarships were awarded to:
Payton Colby, who will attend Lackawanna College, $2,000 scholarship
Felicity Gonzalez, who will attend SUNY Orange, $2,000 scholarship
Galilee Cecchini, who will attend SUNY Purchase, $2,000 scholarship
Alex Kadanthod, who will attend SUNY Orange, $3,000 scholarship
Eric Lockward, who will attend the University of Buffalo, $2,500 scholarship
“Supporting the future leaders within our community is a priority for Wallkill East Rotary,” said Conway. “We look forward to welcoming these students back to hear about their academic pursuits. And special thanks to our Rotary Scholarship Committee this year who spent many hours on this process: Bela Gesztesi, Dr. Tom Littner, Anthony Tangredi, and Steven Sanchez.
Each year, Wallkill East Rotary invites high school students who attend Pine Bush High School or reside in either the Towns of Wallkill or Crawford, regardless of their high school of attendance, to apply for academic scholarships. For more information, please contact Tim Conway at tconway58@gmail.com.