The Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation awarded scholarships to local high school and adult students during the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29.
Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley and Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe spoke to guests and handed out certificates to students. Crowe also talked about accomplishments for each of the award winners in attendance.
“I want you to hear more about what rock stars they have been,” Crowe said, before later adding that the award winners have taken advantage of every opportunity they have been presented with. “They should really just be commended for that.”
The awards ceremony and dinner took place at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. During the event, Board of Trustees members and school officials were recognized, and thanks were given to event sponsors Day Automation, King + King Architects, M&T Bank and C&S Companies.
The goal of the Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation is to expand access to higher education for students in the region who are in career and technical education fields. Since 1991, the foundation has provided more than 350 scholarships – totaling more than $204,000.
The foundation’s largest fundraiser each year is the Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Golf Tournament, which takes place this year at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 12, at the Cedar Lake Golf Club.
For information on registering for the 2024 golf tournament or making a donation, send an email to kmills@herkimer-boces.org or call 315-867-2000.
General Scholarship Awards
The General Scholarship Awards winners receive $1,000 scholarships for their first year of college and then earn additional funding for their second year if certain criteria are met.
The scholarships are open to students who are majoring in vocational education in their high schools or at Herkimer BOCES and plan to go to college the next school year.
The following students won the foundation’s General Scholarship Awards:
Isabella Lawrence, from Central Valley Central School District
Laken Dyn, from Richfield Springs Central School District
Justin Wolfe, from Richfield Springs Central School District
Braden McCumber, from Little Falls City School District
Julie Velazquez, from Little Falls City School District
John Burditt, from Richfield Springs Central School District
Isabella Nitti, from Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District
Madison Kelly, from Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District
Career Awards
The Scholarship Foundation presented the Career Award for students who gain employment in a Career and Technical Education field prior to or soon after graduation and incur expenses as a result of that employment. This award allows the reimbursement of up to $1,000 for trade-specific expenses such as employment clothing, personal protective equipment, tools, supplies, certifications, credentials and/or licenses.
The following students won the Career Award:
Carson Seamon, from Richfield Springs Central School District
Aidan Alsheimer, from Poland Central School District
Special Scholarship Awards
The Special Scholarship Awards were established through donations and go to students pursuing careers in certain areas.
The following students won special incentive awards this year:
Lawrence won the Papaleo/Dady Family Scholarship, which goes to a student who has completed a two-year program at the Herkimer BOCES Technical Education Center and has demonstrated good attendance, teamwork and commitment to a career field.
Burditt won the Paul A. Bouck Memorial Scholarship, which goes to a student who will be majoring in an agricultural/rural or related field.
Nitti won the Harry J. Enea Sr. Memorial Scholarship, which goes to a student entering the mortuary science field.
Paige Austin, from Central Valley Central School District, won the Robert A. Moore Memorial Scholarship, which goes to a student who has completed the Herkimer BOCES Visual Communications Media Arts program and plans to further their training in the field of radio and television broadcasting.
Aubrey Lewis, from Herkimer Central School District, won the Chris Brockway Memorial Scholarship, which goes to a student completing the Criminal Justice program at Herkimer BOCES.
Emma Archer, from Central Valley Central School District, won the William E. Whitehill Scholarship, which goes to a student who attends a Herkimer BOCES Technical Education program and who has demonstrated perseverance and has set clear goals for the future.
Anna Hawkes, from Richfield Springs Central School District, won the Mower Family Farm Scholarship, which goes to a high school graduate who will be pursuing occupations in the field of agriculture.
Adult LPN Awards
Awards of $1,000 were given out to Herkimer BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program students who are studying to become licensed practical nurses.
LPN Scholarship Awards:
Crystal Spisak, a Herkimer resident
Tashiry Maldonado, a Utica resident
Special Nursing Award:
Rebecca Streiff, a Lee Center resident
Alternate Scholarship Recipients
The following students were selected as alternates for scholarship awards:
Hawkes
Jayden Crandall, from Herkimer Central School District
Kaylee Lynch, from Dolgeville Central School District
Courtney White, from Central Valley Central School District
KPaw Paw, an adult student
Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation 2024 award winners who attended the 33rd annual awards ceremony pose together on Wednesday, May 22, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer with Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley and Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe. From left: Crowe, Little Falls student Julie Velazquez, Central Valley student Emma Archer, Central Valley student Paige Austin, Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program student Crystal Spisak, Frankfort-Schuyler student Madison Kelly, Frankfort-Schuyler student Isabella Nitti, Herkimer student Aubrey Lewis, Central Valley student Isabella Lawrence and Baisley.
From left, Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley, Central Valley student Isabella Lawrence and Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe at the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Lawrence won a General Scholarship Award and the Papaleo/Dady Family Scholarship.
From left, Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley, Little Falls student Julie Velazquez and Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe at the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Velazquez won a General Scholarship Award.
From left, Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe, Frankfort-Schuyler student Isabella Nitti and Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley at the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Nitti won a General Scholarship Award and the Harry J. Enea Sr. Memorial Scholarship.
From left, Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe, Frankfort-Schuyler student Madison Kelly and Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley at the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Kelly won a General Scholarship Award.
From left, Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe, Central Valley student Paige Austin and Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley at the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Austin won the Robert A. Moore Memorial Scholarship.
From left, Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe, Herkimer student Aubrey Lewis and Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley at the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Lewis won the Chris Brockway Memorial Scholarship.
From left, Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley, Central Valley student Emma Archer and Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe at the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Archer won the William E. Whitehill Scholarship.
From left, Herkimer Region College & Career Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees member Sarah Crowe, Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program student Crystal Spisak and Board of Trustees President Sharon Baisley at the foundation’s 33rd annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Spisak won an LPN Scholarship.