Norwalk High School Alumni Association

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NORWALK

By FRANCIS X. FAY JR.

Hour Senior Staff Writer

Twenty-four Norwalk High School graduates shared $34,500 in scholarship money at the recent awards assembly. This is $2,300 more than a year ago and amounts to a grand total of $274,500 awarded to 162 deserving seniors since the program was initiated 12 years ago.

The distribution was guided by NHSAA Scholarship Committee Chairman Patrick D. Spinola, Class of 1957, with assists from committee members and donors, all NHS alumni. The scholarships have ranged until this year between $5,000 and $500, many given in memory of classmates or loved ones.

This time, the top award of $6,000 by Joseph H. Errico in memory of his wife, Marta T. Errico, a cosmetologist, went to Yahara Ayala. Errico, retired chairman of the Libner Grain Company, and his wife were members of the Class of 1942.

Shannon Donahue won the Lawrence "Tiff" Gaynor Memorial Scholarship 0f $4,000 from the Good Fellas, who award the proceeds of their annual golf tournament in memory of a different alumnus each year, this time in the name of the noted NHS athlete of the 1940s era.

Peter Steiner received the Ralph A. Nuzzo and Fay Castango Memorial Scholarship of $2,500 given by Sal Nuzzo, Class of 1949, elected eight years ago to the NHS Wall of Honor. A $1,000 scholarship given by his son, David Nuzzo Jr. of Philadelphia, in honor of his father, was taken by Amanda Blodgett.

The NHSAA bundled several donations of varying amounts for two $2,000 scholarships in honor this year of former presidents Michael E. Errico, Class of February 1938, and Ann D'Amato Artell, Class of 1939. They were given to Karol Lewkowicz and Amanda Price.

Benjamin Freshman will use the Steve Guback University of Indiana Scholarship of $2,000 given by the member of the Class of 1944 who was named to the Wall of Honor in 2001 for his journalistic achievements.

Ashley Scarpone garnered the Dorothy Spinola Bondi Memorial Scholarship of $1,500 given for the sixth year by her husband, Fred, and brother, Patrick D. Spinola. Mrs. Bondi was a member of the NHS Class of 1960.

Robertina Lleshdedaj took the John and Elizabeth Lane Foundation Scholarship of $1,500 given by Attorney Lane, Class of 1939, elected to the NHS Wall of Honor in 2004 for his notable law career in the nation's capital and as an adviser to Democratic presidents.

Kaitlin Latham received the $1,000 Dr. Edward Steinlauf Memorial Scholarship, a dentist who graduated with the Class of 1961. It is funded by classmate Paul V. Tebo, Ph.D., and his wife, Pamela Bruchac Tebo. Tebo was elected to the Wall of Honor in 2004 for his environmental contributions to the operations of the DuPont Corporation.

Brendan O'Melia was awarded the $1,000 Alan C. and John Burr Memorial Scholarship given for the sixth in tribute to Alan Burr, Class of 1944, a noted musician and inventor who founded the NHSAA Scholarship Foundation, and his son, John of the Class of 1977, who met accidental death within the past year.

The $1,000 Ralph C. Bloom Teaching Scholarship donated annually by the city historian and Class of 1960 member went to Christine Delfosse.

Adrianna Johnson was presented the Fred Foldeak Memorial Scholarship of $1,000, an award given for the sixth consecutive year in honor of the much-admired middle school principal and member of the Class of 1948 whose service brought him selection to the NHSAA Teacher Honor Roll.

Chris Cadden was the recipient of the $1,000 Ed O'Shaughnessy Memorial Scholarship given to remember a long active member of the NHS Fathers' Club by his son, Patrick,
Class of 1971, chairman of the NHS History Department.

Kevin Poruban took the $1,000 Craig Breny Memorial Scholarship honoring the popular member of the Class of 1948 who was a high school hockey player who devoted his career to the public utility field.

Jeffrey Smith took the $500 Joseph Manes Memorial Scholarship given for the eighth year in honor of the Class of 1943 member by his widow and classmate, Dorothy Nottes Manes

Joel Guerrero was given the $1,000 Louis A. Koleszar Memorial Scholarship in the Manual Trades given for the 13th year in honor of the Class of 1943 member by his son, attorney Miklos "Mickey" Koleszar, Class of 1966.

Alan Quintero won the $1,000 Richard Madey Honorarium donated by the Class of 1939 alumnus placed on the NHSAA Wall of Honor in 2006 for his achievement in nuclear science.

Courtney Ellis and Ryan Johnson each received $500 scholarships from the John D'Amato Memorial Fund in honor of the Class of 1945 member who played pivotal roles in the alumni association, one of them as the fourth president and another as chairman of the Scholarship Committee.

Genesis Ladinez and Thomas Kodel each won $500 honorariums donated by retired middle school principal Benjamin Isenberg.

Gillian Henson was awarded the $500 Robert Iannaccone Memorial Scholarship given by his parents, NHSAA President Glenn Iannaccone and his wife in memory of their son, a musician at NHS who died in a motor vehicle accident three years ago.

Elizabeth Lleshdedaj received the Class of 1948 60th anniversary scholarship of $500.

Joining Chairman Spinola in the presentations were board members Carol F. Hamilton, Class of 1970; Heidi Schreiner Godleski, Class of 1961, and President Iannaccone, Class of 1971. Joseph Errico, Ann Artell, Mickey Kolezar, Donald Burr, Jerry D'Amato and her son, Skip D'Amato, Jean Breny Bontempi and a member of the Nuzzo family.

Norwalk, CT

The Norwalk High School Scholarship Foundation

24 NHS students awarded scholarships