Seamen’s Society for Children and Families awarded 20 scholarships totaling $30,000 to foster youth who are striving to improve their lives by obtaining a college or vocational school education. Started 22 years ago, the organization’s scholarship program helps young adults from Staten Island and Brooklyn defray the costs associated with going to college/vocational school. To date, through our donors, we have invested more than $250,000 in the education of our young adults and 57 of them have completed their education. This year, dinner attendees heard from five students – including two who are currently studying abroad.

This year’s recipients will be attending 17 different colleges in the Fall (including: Drew University, Medgar Evans College, John Jay College, School of Visual Arts, Boston College and SUNY Oneonta). Their majors range from liberal arts to cartooning/illustration to mechanical engineering to nursing. Seamen’s Society President and CEO David Gaskin congratulated all of the students on their accomplishments and thanked all of the donors for their generous support.

Scholarship recipient Jessica Leahy said, “I want to take advantage of the opportunities I’ve been given so I can achieve my original goal and continue to prove that negative cycles can be replaced with positive ones, and I truly believe that attending college is a huge step in the right direction to get me to where I want to be.” Pictured with our 2019 scholarship recipients are David Gaskin, (back row on left) and College Program Coordinator Eileen Bruno and Board Chairperson Laura Volsario (back row, right).