Nine area students have received health care scholarships stewarded by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.
Adelaide Weber of Ellicottville and Megan Fisher, a current Jamestown Community College nursing student, received the Pat McGee Nursing Scholarship for $700 each.
The scholarship is given to traditional and non-traditional students from the 57th State Senate District, which includes much of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, who are pursuing nursing degrees. Established through the Pat McGee Endowment Fund, the scholarship memorializes the 57th district’s late state senator.
Weber plans to study nursing at Jamestown Community College.
Lakya Maull of Olean received the Thomas and Robert Smythe Scholarship, a $2,500 award.
The Smythe Scholarship is available to Olean High School graduating seniors pursuing a nursing degree. Established as part of the Olean City School District Scholarship Fund through the estate of Phyllis G. Cridler Family Trust, the scholarship is named in memory of Mrs. Cridler’s sons, Thomas and Robert.
Maull plans to attend Cleveland State University to study nursing.
Cory Holleran of Salamanca received the Bernadette E. “Bernie” Taylor Memorial Scholarship for $700.
The Taylor Scholarship is for a graduating student of any high school in Cattaraugus or Allegany counties, with first preference for a student who plans to major in education, particularly in math or science fields; nursing; or a health-care field. Second preference is for a high school student graduating from any high school in Cattaraugus or Allegany counties who will be attending St. Bonaventure University and entering the ROTC program. Students graduating from Allegany-Limestone Central School also will be given preference.
Holleran plans to study biology at Allegheny College.
Ipshita Patra of Allegany-Limestone received the Mohammad & Sakeena Iqbal Health Care Award. Stephanie Kopec of Allegany-Limestone received the Drs. Ahmad and Naheed Hilal Health Care Scholarship, each $700 awards.
These scholarships are for graduating seniors of Allegany-Limestone Central School ranked in the top 25 percent of the class who intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a health care- or education-related field. Drs. Ahmad and Naheed Hilal established the Iqbal Health Care Award in memory of Dr. Naheed Hilal’s parents as part of the Drs. Ahmad and Naheed Hilal Family Fund and added a second award from the fund in 2025.
Patra plans to study biological sciences at Cornell University. Kopec plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to study biology on a pre-health track.
Patra and Manoah Miketish of Olean received the Sara Mollica Memorial Scholarship, a $350 award.
The Sara Mollica Memorial Scholarship provides two scholarships each year, one for Allegany-Limestone Central School and one for Olean High School, for students pursuing post-secondary education in a career/technical field or health-care related field of study.
Miketish plans to study nursing at Jamestown Community College.
Mia Volpe of Randolph and Caitlyn Kellogg of Allegany-Limestone received the Kothari Family Fund Health care Scholarship for $1,000 each.
The Kothari Family Fund Health care Scholarship is given to graduating seniors, one from Allegany-Limestone Central School and one from any Cattaraugus or McKean (PA) County high school, pursuing a health-care related field of study. Drs. Ashok and Yogini Kothari established the scholarship as part of the Kothari Family Endowed Fund.
Volpe plans to attend Hamilton College to study biology on a pre-med track. Kellogg plans to study public health at St. Bonaventure University.
Donations can be made to any of these funds at CRCF, 301 North Union Street, Suite 203, or online at cattfoundation.org.
Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the Foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email [email protected], or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).
