SGL Carbon, LLC Support Local Students with Scholarships

Recently, Plant Manager, Tom Detsch, standing on the left and Human Resource Manager, Kathy Kennedy, on the right, from SGL Carbon met with students who were selected to be awarded $500 each in the form of a scholarship from SGL Carbon, LLC. The recipients were from left to right, Tim Mosebarger, Matt Jerko, Ben Herbstritt and Rudy Gleixner. Tim and Rudy recently graduated from St. Marys Area High School while Ben and Matt from Elk County Catholic High School. Mr. Detsch encouraged the students to work hard and congratulated them on being chosen for this award.

SGL Group – The Carbon Company – is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of carbon-based products. This is the fourth year they have supported local students with this scholarship. The scholarship is administered by the Elk County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of North Central PA. These scholarships recognize high school seniors who have displayed outstanding qualities in academic achievement, leadership, and community service. In addition to this award the Community Foundation is involved with the Partnership for Access to Higher Educations (PATH) and will nominate all students who receive a scholarship from them to the PATH program. This program is administered through PHEAA which provides matching dollars to qualified candidates. Last year the Foundation had nearly $54,000 matched to 49 students in our area.

The Elk County Community Foundation Board extends their gratitude to SGL who has seen a need and believes in the youth of today. Anyone interested in establishing a scholarship can contact the Foundation at 814-834-2125 or get more information from the website, www.elkcountyfoundation.com

Straub Brewery Scholarships Awarded

Recently, the management at Straub Brewery met with the students from Elk County Catholic High School and St. Marys Area High School to congratulate them on winning the $1,000 Straub Brewery Scholarships this year. Bill Brock, President of Straub Brewery stated; “The quality of our youth and young adults is one of the characteristics that impresses me the most about St. Marys. It is a combination of family support, our schools and faith. Regardless of whether our recent high school graduates are heading to college, trade-schools or into the workforce, our community and companies are proud of their accomplishments and thankful for their determination. The Straub scholarships are designed to recognize the accomplishments of local students, and at the same time, help to cover the cost of higher education.

Straub Brewery would also like to thank the Elk County Community Foundation for their continued hard work and dedication in managing this endowment; and for their effort in ensuring that the Straub Scholarships are matched to the right students.”

The Straub Brewery Scholarships are administered by the Elk County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of North Central PA. These scholarships recognize high school seniors who have displayed outstanding qualities in academic achievement, leadership, and community service. In addition to this award the Community Foundation is involved with the Partnership for Access to Higher Educations (PATH) and will nominate all students who receive a scholarship from them to the PATH program. Last year the Foundation had nearly $54,000 matched to 49 students in our area.

The Elk County Community Foundation Board extends their gratitude to Straub Brewery who has seen a need and believes in the youth of today. Anyone interested in establishing a scholarship can contact the Foundation at 814-834-2125 or get more information from the website, www.elkcountyfoundation.com

The recipients and Straub Brewery management are from left to right, Vince Assetta, GM, VP and Brewer ,Cathy Lenze- Director of Sales and Marketing, Matt Bobby, Elk County Catholic High School, Camille Smithbauer, Elk County Catholic High School, Joshua Burns, St. Marys Area High School, Richard Burns, Bill Brock, President/CEO, Mary Anderson, Corporate Controller and Shane Burns . Missing from the photo was Amy Orr, St. Marys Area School District.

Nursing Scholarships Awarded

Recently the Penn Highlands-Elk Foundation formerly the Elk Regional Health System Board transferred two Scholarship funds to the Elk County Community Foundation. This years awardees met with Rose Campbell, President of Penn Highlands-Elk. The Kathryn Kilhoffer Walsh Nursing Scholarship awarded $725 to Leah Kucinski a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School and the Elk Diabetes Nursing Scholarship awarded $500 to Ashley Fabiano from Johnsonburg Area High School. Leah will be attending Edinboro University while Ashley will attend the University of Pitt at Bradford.

Penn Highlands–Elk Foundation moved their scholarship funds to the Community Foundation this past spring to take advantage of the PATH (Partnership for Access To Higher Education) program for their scholarship recipients. As a PATH partner, the Community Foundation can nominate their scholarship recipients for a matching grant to this program administered by PHEAA. Last year 49 local students received over $54,000 in matching grants through the Community Foundation’s scholarship program.

The Elk County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of North Central PA currently administers 110 funds and of those 67 are scholarship funds. If you are interested in establishing a fund please contact the Elk County Community Foundation at 814-834-2125 or check out their website at ww.elkcountyfoundation.com.

Pictured L to R

Ashley Fabiano, Rose Campbell, Leah Kucenski

Christian Cordero Memorial Scholarship

Alex O’Neill, on the right, is the 2014 recipient of Christian Cordero Memorial Scholarship, administered by the Elk County Community Foundation. Alex is the second recipient to receive this award and he is the son of Mike and Gale O’Neill of St. Marys. The $500 Christian Cordero Memorial Scholarship is awarded to an 8th grade Cavalier basketball player who shows real enthusiasm for the game just as the late Christian Cordero did, and will be attending Elk County Catholic High School as a freshman the next year. Christian, “CC”, know to his friends, was a former Cavalier player and later returned as volunteer assistant coach. “I know he felt it a privilege to be able to give back to a program that he truly loved.” Said EJ Crowe, one of his classmates who had last year spear headed a Facebook awareness about the Scholarship. Each year the Cavalier Coaches will select an 8th grade player who best reflects the spirit of CC to receive the award

St. Marys Catholic Middle School Principal John Schneider accompanies O’Neill in the photo. The Cavalier Boosters, who created the scholarship fund in the memory of their former player, are encouraging donations in hoping to make this award permanent. Donations can be sent to the Elk County Community Foundation at P.O. Box 934, St. Marys, PA 15857, or can be made online at our website www.elkcountyfoundation.com. If you have any questions please call us at 814-834-2125.

Ridgway Area School District Receives Funding

Over $18,000 was distributed to Ridgway School Districts from the Elk County Community Foundation. As an approved Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) partner the Foundation receives donations from qualified businesses to provide innovative educational programing with in the public schools K-12 school.

The Ridgway School District was able to purchase for each of their two buildings, HD video conference equipment, HD screen/projection devise and streaming continent input device. Their goal is to continue to enhance the technology experiences of their students. Recently representatives from the Community Foundation, Advantage Sales Company and Farmers National Bank, both contributors to the EITC visited Ridgway Area High School to check out the new equipment and to have a presentation of the new equipment. Students have been able to go on virtual field trips with this new technology. Dan Brocious, the Technology Director explain that there were a number of the virtual field trips/video conferences that their students have participated including a trip to NASA, San Diego Zoo, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Texas State Aquarium, Grand Teton National Park and the Holocaust Memorial Center, where the local students were able to interact with Holocaust survivors via video conferencing. The school also is utilizing the systems for recording and conferencing with school board meetings and presentations.

Kim Jacques from Advantage Sales Company was on hand and talked about how she found the EITC program a great vehicle for her company to make donations to her community and receive tax dollar credits. Other companies that contributed to the programs this year were: Northwest Savings Bank, EQT Production Co.; Highmark Casualty Insurance Company, Synder Trucking Company, Susquehanna Wire Rope and Rigging and PNC Bank. Any entity authorized to conduct business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and subject to certain taxes is eligible to apply to be involved with the EITC program. Tax credits are limited to 75% of the business’ contribution with a maximum of $750,000 annually. If a business agrees to make the same contribution for two consecutive years, it may receive a tax credit equal to 90% of its contribution. Interested participants must submit a brief application to the DCED. The application can be found at www.inventpa.com. Jacques indicated how easy the application was and is willing to assist others with the business application process.

Pictured from left to right are:

Foundation Board Member Gennaro Aiello; Kim Jacques representing Advantage Sales Company; Paula Fritz Eddy, Executive Director of the Foundation; Craig Carrow and Heather Serafini from Farmers National Bank; Donna Sidlinger, the district Business Manager; Dr. O’Brien, superintendent; Lisa Connely Board President; Dan Brocious, Technology Director and Judith Manno Stager, Foundation Board member.