Scranton Area Community Foundation Announces 2024 Scholarship Recipients

Scranton Area Community Foundation has awarded twenty students from thirteen different high schools a prestigious scholarship through the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund. This competitive scholarship provides $5,000 per year for each recipient for up to four years to assist with continuing education expenses.

The following students are first-time recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship: Noah Beckish (North Pocono), Caden Brennan (Carbondale), Jocelyn Brown (Carbondale), Holly Burke (Scranton Preparatory), Carolyn Chakiris (Mid Valley), Elizabeth Cummings (Old Forge), Celia Emiliani (West Scranton), Kate Evans (West Scranton), Nikauri Fernandez (Holy Cross), Emma Field (Scranton), Sarah Goetter (Mid Valley), Geanna Kirchner (Dunmore), Savannah Lockwood (Dunmore), Antonia Piraino (Lakeland), Allyson Stafursky (Valley View), Makenna Stugus (Abington Heights), Alexa Williams (Riverside), Sarah Wolfe (Riverside), Meghan Wong (Scranton), and Angela Zeng (Abington Heights).

In addition to the 20 new recipients, there were 57 James F. Swift Scholarship renewals in 2024. The following students are recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship Renewal in 2024: Ava Aulisio, Emma Aversa, Jacquelyn Bitter, Alexander Bond, Jillian Brennan, Cameron Butka, Joel Cali, Sofia Capozzi, Kaeden Carr, Riley Clarke, Ryan Coleman, Alyssa Cosklo, Ava Decker, Jayden Evans, Erileidi Fernandez, Sofia Flores-Weidner, Hunter Geise, Sadid Hassan, Courtney Hazelton, Matthew Howard, Emma Illian, Elina Joshi, Michael Kazmierczak, Eliana King, Kendal Johnson, Lorna Lynch, Dana Mackin, Hailey Matechak, Sara McCormack, Finley McHale, David McKenney, Thomas Milewski, Connor Monahan, Ayman Mounota, Owen Morgan, Julia Murphy, Mia Muskey, Paige Pezanowski, Ron Prislupski, Meredith Purcell, Mila Racibor, Ritu Regmi, Taralyn Reilly, Lexee Risner, Michael Rodyushkin, Kayla Rose, Chloee Rumford, Ryan Salony, Michael Sewack, Gabrielle Snee, Christian Snee, Ethan Symuleski, Alexis Tanana, Benjamin Thompson, Martin Turi, Jayde Waibel, and Molly White.

The James F. Swift Scholarship Fund has awarded over $5 million since 2008, benefiting over 340 local students. Created in 2002 through a gift by Mr. James F. Swift to the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund supports higher education for students graduating from high schools in Lackawanna County. Following Mr. Swift’s death in 2006, the Scranton Area Community Foundation gratefully received a significant gift from his estate to the scholarship fund, allowing many students from Lackawanna County to pursue their academic and professional goals through higher education.

The scholarship aims to provide an ongoing matriculation stream at Lackawanna County colleges and universities. The Scranton Area Community Foundation aims to award 75% of the scholarships to students who plan to attend institutions of higher learning in the Lackawanna County region.

Scranton Area Community Foundation President and CEO Laura Ducceschi praised Mr. Swift’s generosity, noting that “he has left a permanent and enduring legacy for our region’s youth. His scholarship fund makes higher education more attainable for generations of students.”

The Scranton Area Community Foundation partners with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) in the Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Program to offer qualifying students additional financial aid. Through PHEAA, scholarship recipients may be eligible for additional dollars toward their tuition.

For more information on the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Director of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, at 570-347-6203.