Eleven recent area graduates were awarded athletics-focused scholarships, managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.
Mason Roessner of Coudersport (PA) Area School District and Cloey Larabee of Cuba-Rushford Central School, along with Olean High School’s Caedyn Tingley, Emma Edwards and Noah Gallo received scholarships from the Big 30 Athletic Fund, each for $1,000.
Established by the Big 30 Athletic Fund committee, the Big 30 Athletic Fund at CRCF supports the organization’s effort to provide scholarship funding to deserving student athletes in the region served by the Big 30, including Allegany and Cattaraugus counties as well as areas of northwestern Pennsylvania.
The fund makes possible awards for students graduating in the Big 30 region who have participated in at least two sports for all four years of high school. Academic achievement and financial need may also be considered.
Roessner plans to attend Penn State Mont Alto to study forest technology. Larabee plans to attend SUNY Geneseo to study adolescent mathematic education.
Tingley plans to study elementary education at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Edwards plans to study psychology at Tarleton State University at Stephenville. Gallo plans to attend Alfred State College.
Gallo also received the JF20 Scholarship, a $250 award.
Established by former Olean High School graduate and star football player Julio Fuentes, the JF20 Scholarship Fund provides a scholarship for a graduating senior from Olean High School who participated on a varsity sports team with preference for a football player.
Brynn Lavery of Cuba-Rushford Central School received the Kaleigh Wilday Scholar Athlete Award for $1,000.
This scholarship is awarded to a scholar athlete who is part of a scholar-athlete team during her or his senior year. The Cuba-Rushford Athletic Awards Committee chooses the recipient of the scholar-athlete award.
Lavery plans to study diagnostic medical sonography at the Northeast College of Health Sciences.
Levi Otero of Olean High School received the OHS Walter L. Reisner Unsung Lineman Award.
The $500 scholarship is funded through the Walt and Ruth Reisner Fund, established as an endowment by Ruth Reisner in memory of her late husband, Walt Reisner. The award is for a graduating OHS varsity football letter winner. The scholarship is named for Walter L. Reisner, Walt’s grandfather, a standout Olean football player who went on to play at Muhlenberg College, where he was honored as a member of the all-time Muhlenberg football team.
Otero plans to study accounting at Niagara University.
Addie Fisher received the Louis W. Ensworth Charitable Foundation Trust Scholarship for Allegany-Limestone while Lakya Maull received the Louis W. Ensworth Charitable Foundation Trust Scholarship for Olean High School, each for $500.
These scholarships, established by Louis Ensworth, a former educator and coach, in 2018, benefit a deserving student participating in the girls’ basketball program at both Allegany-Limestone Central School and Olean High School. Recipients are recommended by the coaches at each school.
Fisher plans to study psychology at Houghton College. Maull plans to study nursing at Cleveland State University.
Donald Szata of Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School and Collin Mooney of Franklinville/Ten Broeck Academy received the Patrick Shinners Memorial Team Player Scholarship for $250.
Established in memory of Salamanca-native Patrick Shinners by the Southwestern Chapter of the New York State Association of Certified Football Officials, this award is for players in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties who are a graduating senior and have participated in football for at least one school year. The ideal candidate is a player who was there for the team; a player who was not the team hero, but who came to practice knowing that he may not be in the game on Friday night. All applicants for the award are nominated by their high school football coaches.
Szata plans to study cybersecurity at Hilbert College. Mooney plans to study electrical construction at Alfred State College.
Donations can be made to any of these funds at CRCF, 301 North Union St., Suite 203, or online at cattfoundation.org.
The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. 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).
