For the 23rd year, the Darien High School class of 1974 once again awarded scholarships to a deserving group of graduate seniors.
Eight students each received checks for $ 5,000 to use for their college education. The fundraising of $ 40,000 was a record for this class which has donated over $ 300,000 since starting its memorial scholarship in 1999.
Debbie Horan Ferrer helped lead an effort to have their deceased classmates remember this scholarship fund.
Each year, Ferrer has said that she and her classmates hope other classes create their own memorial fund so that more students in need of financial aid can fulfill their college dreams.
This year the class of 1974 remembers Robert Austin, David Bean, Walter Bean, Pamela Beatty, Pat Boller Welsh, Rebecca Brann, Craig Buckley, Ellen Cady, Alan Clough, Warren Carranza, Karen Evers. Bill Johnson, Mary Ann Johnston, Minnie Marshall, Janet Mason Ostreicher, John Merritt, Laura Molony Ziegler, Andrew Nelson, Catherine O’Hearn, Pamela Polhemus Smith, Jody Saunders Richard, David Saverine, Christopher Sepe, Cathie Shanahan Cochrane, Peter “Scott Sutcliffe, Leslie Taylor Browne, David Teare, H. Ben Waldron, Patricia Whelan and Jerry Yates.
The scholarship recipients, and where the recipients go in the fall are:
Lucy Collins – University of Coventry in England
Henyesi Tolentino – University of Pennsylvania
Kinga Srednicki – Elon University
Maximus Racanelli – US Air Force Academy
Grace Martini – University of the Sacred Heart
Valeria Henao – Uconn Stamford
Sophia Bender – IE University, Madrid Spain