DeBartolo Foundation Gives Scholarships to 8 with Character
BOARDMAN, Ohio – They are stellar examples of academic achievement, striving for excellence, selflessness, earning the respect of their peers and, most important, conquering the obstacles in their paths.
Their names are Elexis Blake, Logan Foster, Taylor Kutsch, Mary O’Donnell, Noelle Poole, Rachael Rendessy, Gina Sylvester and Stephanie Tieu.
These eight seniors about to graduate from high schools in the Mahoning Valley are this year’s recipients of the Edward J. DeBartolo Scholarship Foundation, which over the last 16 years, has awarded more than $550,000 to students who excel academically while overcoming challenges that would daunt young people with less self-confidence and less drive.
In recognizing the students Thursday at the Holiday Inn-Boardman, Denise DeBartolo York said the scholarships named in memory of her father are “to commend and reward the hard work” of the students who have demonstrated “courage that has transcended obstacles we can’t imagine. … I feel lucky and truly blessed to be able to help you start your college career.”
The foundation recognized one student with the Donald J. Pipino Memorial Award --Tieu, a senior at Boardman High School, the daughter of a single mother, who sat with her grandparents. “I feel like they’re my parents,” she said afterward. “They always give me good advice.”
From the beginning of the scholarships program, DeBartolo York has monitored the progress of the recipients, she said afterward, and hopes her children will do likewise. She has been pleased with their progress and stays in touch through “a lot of emails and letter writing. … Ninety-five percent excel [in college] and go on to give back,” she said.
She’s attended the college graduations of many recipients as well as their weddings. “I love these kids!” DeBartolo York said.
When some have run to financial difficulty beyond their control, she’s stepped in, she said. DeBartolo York just talked with one former recipient whose mother died last week and feared she might not be able to return next semester.
DeBartolo York just can’t help but stand in awe of the character shown by the recipients, she concluded, especially those who come from broken homes or suffered abuse or neglect but persevered and excelled.
With the support and sponsorship of PNC Bank, the DeBartolo Memorial Scholarship Foundation will hold its annual fundraising dinner June 23, John York, husband of DeBartolo York, announced. As has been the case each year, stars from the National Football League, including the San Francisco 49ers, will attend and mix with the guests.
Following are two profiles of the eight recipients and six thumbnail sketches:
Elexis Blake, who will study accounting at Kent State, was born deaf and learned American Sign Language (ASL) at three when she also received a cochlear implant. She earned a 3.4 grade point average in her mainstream classes at Bristol High School, was chosen captain of the school soccer team as a freshman (playing forward and midfielder) and the basketball team on which she played point guard.
It was her grandfather, Russell Molinattto, who sat next to her at the luncheon, who instilled in her his love of basketball. “He took me to practices [where he was a coach] when I was little,” Blake said, “and that’s where I developed my love for basketball.”
One has to listen closely to understand her admission, “I’m still struggling with my speech.” Her ASL interpreter, Amy Magnuson, signed this reporter’s questions to Blake who responded nearly flawlessly.
Magnuson has been Blake’s interpreter since she was in first grade and, Blake said with affection, “She has been like a mother.”
Magnuson, who noted that their relationship is unusual because she has been her interpreter all 12 years of school, describes Blake as “just a sponge for knowledge.”
During her academic career, Blake was allowed extra time to complete her tests and she received other help as well, she related. Besides learning ASL, which described as “my first language,” she learned English and Spanish. “Speaking, writing and signing in Spanish is very different [from English],” she said.
At Bristol’s commencement ceremonies next month, Blake will deliver her speech in ASL, she said.
She has devoted “three to four hours each night” to homework. While accounting is her favorite subject, English isn’t far behind. “I enjoyed writing papers,” she said.
Her efforts to have Bristol offer ASL as an elective went unrewarded. Champion High School, nearby, does offer ASL, she noted, and, unlike Champion, there are few students as Bristol with whom she can sign.
Blake has never been reluctant to ask for help, she said, and “people were always wiling to help” her with her studies. She enjoys mathematics but, as she and Magnuson noted, “the word problems” were the most challenging aspect.
Her counselor wrote that Blake “has always worked hard at any task given to her” and noted her optimism in all she’s approached.
Another challenge Blake took on was joining the choir. “It’s a lot harder than you think,” she said, because she “sings” in ASL “and you must put your emotions into it. That’s challenging.”
Active in other extracurricular activities at Bristol, Blake was inducted into the National Honor Society, joined the Beta Club and art club and participates in 4-H.
Besides delivering a speech at commencement, she will sing with the choir – again in ASL.
Stephanie Tieu, born in California, enrolled in Boardman schools in the eighth grade, she said, her mother coming here because her friends told her of the better work opportunities here. (Her parents are separated.)
Besides Vietnamese and English, she speaks Spanish -- she’s enrolled in fourth-year Spanish at Boardman High.
Tieu plans to study biochemistry at Youngstown State or Kent State University with an eye toward a career in chemical engineering or research, she said.
As with the other seven scholarship recipients, Tieu has been active in extracurricular activities -- Spanish, math and science clubs -- Interact and was on the cross-country teams in 10th grade and this year. She has also taken on a workload that would crush most other students, taking Advanced Placement biology in her sophomore year and A.P. calculus, A.P. English and A.P. human geography this year.
Boardman does not offer an A.P. course in her favorite subject, chemistry. “I like it because of how diverse it is,” she explained, “and how it incorporate math and offers so many possibilities.”
She likes to listen to classic rock while doing her homework. “I read and reread,” she explains, “then I write and rewrite” to gain mastery of her subjects.
Tieu also works as a paid tutor through the junior Boardman Rotary and volunteers in behalf of Akron Children’s Hospital by working at book fairs at Barnes & Noble Booksellers. “When a volunteer,” she said, “I find myself more. … I want to set a good example for my sister,” a year behind her and every bit the student Tieu is.
Her counselor at Boardman wrote that Tieu “is an amazing balancing act of organization, determination and dedication” although the senior allows that last fall she wondered if she might have taken on too much. “It was hard,” she recalled, balancing cross-country with three A.P. courses.
Logan Foster, a senior with a 4.0 GPA at East Palestine High School, plans to study theater at either Baldwin Wallace or Miami University. While holding a part-time job, he was inducted into the NHS elected to Student Council, joined the drama and Rotary clubs, participated in the high school band and ran cross-country.
Taylor Kutsch, a student at Liberty High School, wants to study social work at Youngstown State or Ohio State University or the University of Cincinnati. She has earned a 3.93 GPA – she was inducted into NHS -- while holding a part-time job and participating in the speech and debate team, music honors society, leaders’ club, pep club and playing on the tennis team.
Mary O’Donnell has achieved a 3.5 GPA at Ursuline High School, for which she is a student ambassador, and wants to earn a degree in education at YSU or Kent State University. O’Donnell, too, has worked part-time while a student and has played for the Ursuline girls’ basketball and cross-country teams.
Noelle Poole will graduate from Sebring McKinley High School where she maintained a 3.8 GPA (and inducted into NHS) while holding down two part-time jobs. She is vice president of her class, editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, and a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Rachael Rendessy wants to earn a degree in biomedical humanities at Hiram College after she graduates from Jackson–Milton High School where she has attained a 3.4 GPA. She has participated in Buckeye Girls State and MedCamp at Neomed, been a member if drama club, Key Club and HealthSuccess, and worked on her school newspaper and yearbook. And she has held a part-time job.
Gina Sylvester has a 4.0 GPA at John F. Kennedy High School where she was inducted into NHS and been a member of Key Club, the service and math clubs and Animal Advocacy. She, too, has held a part-time job.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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