2019 Scholarship Winners

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2019 Scholarships Awarded

 The McKean County Community Foundation awarded a total of 24 scholarships to local students this year, adding up to a sum of $20,000 in scholarship funds. The recipients of these scholarships are graduating seniors from the surrounding areas. Out of the 24 scholarships awarded, 7 went to seniors from Bradford Area High School, 15 went to seniors from Kane Area High School, 1 went to Smethport Area High School and 1 to Limestone/Allegany High School. Six new scholarship funds were established and awarded in 2019.

 The young adults that are receiving these scholarships are the future of this community.  Donors who have established these scholarships are contributing to our future leaders.  The McKean County Community Foundation Board extends their gratitude to those who have seen the need and believe in the youth of today.   Anyone interested in establishing a scholarship can contact the Foundation at 844-238-2289.

Pictures: Mitchell Hayden, ARG Employee Scholarship Winner

Sashy & Gladys Kane Perpetual Scholarship

Alysha Biel KAHS $1000

Alex Rezzelle KAHS $1000

Jeff and Shelly Johnson Memorial Scholarship

Paige Nicklas KAHS $500

Diana J. Hulings Memorial Scholarship

Ella Marconi KAHS $500

John & Donna Hulings Scholarship

Alysha Biel KAHS $500

Halle Saf KAHS $500

Steve Jerman Memorial Scholarship

Halle Saf KAHS $500

Ella Marconi KAHS $500

Chuck Daly Memorial Scholarship

Alex Rezzelle KAHS $1000

Ella Marconi KAHS $1000

Paul Robert & Frieda Roberta Calkins Rolfe Scholarship

Raisa Wright KAHS $4000 over 4 years

Tristan Sauers Memorial Scholarship

Dessa Gentile KAHS $500

Carrie Sauers Memorial Scholarship

Ella Marconi KAHS $500

Kane Day School Alumni Scholarship

Adam Sicher KAHS $500

Gary Meckley Scholarship

Krisalyn Rhodes KAHS $1000

ARG Employee Scholarship

Mitchell Hayden BAHS $500

Collin Rounsville A-LHS $500

Bradford Rotary Vocational Scholarship

Nicole Sayers BAHS $500

Amber Hitchcock BAHS $500

Joe Stanko Memorial Scholarship

Lauren Abers BAHS $500

Bradford Creative Performing Arts Center BCPAC Scholarship

Ashley Keane BAHS $500

Gloria V. Anderson Scholarship Sponsored by the Singing Dutchmen

Mikayla Bond BAHS $1000

Ole Bull Violin Scholarship

Mikayla Bond BAHS $2000

Pastor Craig Smith Memorial Scholarship

Emily Gustafson SAHS $500

BCPAC scholarship established

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BCPAC Scholarship Established

BRADFORD — A new scholarship has been established at the McKean County Community Foundation by the Bradford Creative Performing Arts Center (BCPAC). Beginning this year, BCPAC will award an annual scholarship to a talented individual who is planning to or has enrolled in an accredited college/university degree program.

Students applying for this scholarship should meet these criteria: a graduating Bradford High School Senior; planning to pursuing a degree in the performing arts (Theatre, Music, Dance) program; be active in school and community activities; demonstrate financial need; show academic merit; submit an essay about What is the purpose of the arts and what are her/his college and career goals; and provide two letters of recommendation to be completed by a faculty member or administrator who has taught the applicant or worked with her/him in an academic setting. The scholarship application will be available in mid-February at the Bradford Area High School Guidance office. For more information on this and other available scholarships in McKean County please visit our website at www.mckeancountyfoundation.org.

Additional funding may also be available to recipients of these scholarships. The Community Foundation is involved with the Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) and will nominate all students who receive a scholarship from them to the PATH program. This essentially doubles the dollars a scholarship recipient can receive. This program is administered through PHEAA which provides matching dollars to qualified candidates.

For over 30 years, BCPAC has been has been the premier presenter of quality creative and performing arts in a six-county region of Northern Pennsylvania and Western New York. From headliners and tribute performances to major Broadway productions and summer youth programs, BCPAC brings world-class entertainment and performing arts to the Bradford community and surrounding areas.  The McKean County Community Foundation partners with local community-minded individuals, families, and organizations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations.

The Community Foundation is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals. For more information, please call our office at 1-844-238-2289.

Pictured is some of the Education Committee of BCPAC and representatives from the Community Foundation left to right: Lauren Marshall, Connie Shanks, Erika Close and daughter, Lori Huber and Terri Leven all from BCPAC; Paula Fritz Eddy and Bob Esch from the Community Foundation.

Scholarships available through Community Foundation

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Scholarship Applications Are Now Available 

Attention All those attending Colleges, Universities or Vocations schools! The Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF)and McKean County Community Foundation, (MCCF) both affiliates of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies added thirteen new scholarships this year.  This has increased the total scholarships awarded by the Foundation to nearly $190,000 available for students across seven counties. The Community Foundation has distributed all post-secondary or vocational school scholarship applications to the high school guidance departments throughout the area and also have information on their websites.   Please visit them: www.elkcountyfoundation.org or www.mckeancountyfoundation.org, look for the Scholarship page and the “Information for Students” tab! As shown in the photo, our new websites make it even easier to search for scholarship opportunities for each school district on the “Information For Students” in the Scholarships section.

Each scholarship that is available has a different focus, so check each one out and see if it is right for you. Some of the new scholarships are the Kane Day School Alumni Scholarship, Donald Cicuzza Jr. Memorial Scholarship, the Fitch Family Scholarship the Jack Kestler Memorial Scholarship, the BCPAC scholarship, the Joe Stanko Scholarship, the Dr. Maurus Sorg Memorial Scholarship and the St. Marys American Legion Post 103 and the St. Marys Sons of Legion Post 103.

The Community Foundation is one of 40 state wide partners with PATH (Partners for Access to Higher Education). Students who receive a scholarship award from the Community Foundation may qualify for matching dollars through PHEAA and the PATH program. In 2018 over $70,000 was matched to our local students.

Additional graduate level and non-traditional scholarships are also available for music, law, medical, vocational nursing and many more. Visit the websites to see what is available! For further details and deadlines, contact your guidance counselor or the Community Foundation at 844 238-2289.

Early Childhood Education Fund invests in our children’s future

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Investment in early childhood education makes sense for so many reasons: economically, socially, and developmentally. A local fund, the Early Childhood Development Fund, was established at the McKean County Community Foundation to assist families with financial needs in obtaining early childhood education for their children. Anyone can make an investment in the future of our community by donating to this special fund supporting early education in McKean County.

The Early Childhood Development (ECDF) Fund has a mission to support accessible child-centered care with tuition assistance.  The fund is primarily established to support families that have children enrolled in Earl Childhood Programs who are at risk of pulling the child from the program due to unforeseen financial hardships. Non-profit agencies that provide early childhood education in the McKean County area are able to recommend a student/family with special financial needs to obtain funding assistance through the ECDF fund to help their child attend a qualifying program. Bob Esch, Board President of the McKean County Community Foundation, stated: “Investment in early childhood education can have long-term effects on graduation rates, college attendance, and adulthood self-control and self-esteem. This fund will make a lasting difference in McKean County.”

A letter received from a family stated, “I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am that you were willing to help my family out with our tuition. When we started school, my kids were so scared, didn’t want to leave me, had no confidence in themselves. My 2-year-old can count to 20, knows his alphabet, can recognize his name on things and has such an imagination. He isn’t so shy anymore and isn’t scared. My 4-year-old has just made leaps and bounds. From last year to today, it’s a complete 180. I am grateful for your generosity and compassion to us during our struggles. I try to keep my kids in things that will help them along life’s way and I’m glad they were able to attend this school year and stay there with your help.”

Early childhood education helps prepare the next generation of workers and contributes to a more prosperous community. But lower income families face many issues when it comes to providing education and child care for their infants and preschoolers. For these families, the care of a young child is a double-edged sword. They cannot afford to pay for child care or send their children to early education programs. As a result, they are unable to enter the workforce to provide for a better lifestyle for their family because they must be at home caring for their children.

According to a 2018 article in Fortune Magazine, in 28 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, the cost of center-based infant care exceeded one year’s worth of tuition and fees at a four-year public university. The commitment of the generous local donors who have embraced the cause of child care and early childhood education is enriching the future of children in McKean County.  Community-minded individuals and groups can support the Early Childhood Education Fund by making a donation through the McKean County Community Foundation at P.O. Box 708, Braford, PA 16701.

The McKean County Community Foundation is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals. For more information, contact MCCF at 844-238-2289 or by email at mccf@mckeancountyfoundation.org.

Photo: Pre-kindergarten students at Growing With Grace Christian Preschool and their teachers paused for a photo Tuesday, Jan. 15, on National Hat Day.

Kane Day School establishes scholarship fund

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The McKean County Community Foundation (MCCF) is excited to announce a new scholarship fund established by the Kane Day School Board of Directors.  The Day Schools is a learning environment dedicated to educating, caring about and nurturing the children in Kane and the surrounding areas. Their goals is to prepare students for kindergarten.   Now the staff and board of the school wants to help their alumni when they are ready to start their post-secondary education.

To be eligible for the Kane Day School Alumni Scholarship a student must be a graduating senior from Kane School District; an alumni of the Kane Day School; pursuing a post-secondary 2 or 4-year degree or attending a vocational program; and be active in in school and community. The first $500 scholarship award will be given in the spring of 2019.   Applications will be available at the Kane High School’s Guidance office in February. The board’s hope is to raise enough funds to ensure a permanent annual scholarship.  If anyone is interested in donating to the fund they can send a check made payable to the McKean County Community Foundation at P.O. Box 708, Bradford, PA 16701 (please indicate the Day School Scholarship in the memo line).   Individual could also make the donation through the school as well.

The Kane Day School chose to partner with the MCCF, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies, whose mission is to strengthen the region through development, stewardship and grantmaking as donors achieve their philanthropic goals. In addition, funding may also be available to recipients of this scholarship through the Community Foundation’s involvement with the Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) and will nominate all students who receive a scholarship from them to the PATH program. This, essentially, could double the dollars a scholarship recipient can receive. This program is administered through PHEAA which provides matching dollars to qualified candidates.

The Community Foundation is anxious to assist other donors who have an interest in starting a fund to benefit nearly any charitable organization or cause in which they have a vested interest, whether as a named fund or in memory of a deceased family member or friend. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the MCCF for more information either by calling (844) 238-2289 or e-mailing us at mccf@McKeanCountyFoundation.org or check out their Facebook page.

Pictured: Mrs. Hearst, along with the 4-year-old who were “trying on for size” the graduation caps and gowns!