GRIP Dreamer Scholarship Fund
This fund was established in 2013 to provide college scholarships to immigrants who are not eligible for Federal and/or Pennsylvania financial aid. Applicants must be seniors at or graduates of a high school located in Berks County, Pennsylvania; and the applicant’s current primary home at time of application must be located in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Applicants must be age 30 or under at time of application.
Applicants who are high school seniors or who have not yet attended college must have obtained a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants who are currently attending college or who previously attended college must have obtained a college cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above in order to apply.
Previous recipients must reapply each year if they want to be considered for another scholarship from this fund.
Matthew Kelly Epitome of Courage Memorial Scholarship Fund
This scholarship fund was established in 2009 to honor the memory of Matthew Kelly. Matthew Todd Kelly courageously battled cystic fibrosis for 29 years. He lost his battle with CF while waiting for a double lung transplant. Matt had an iron determination, a sense of humor and an eternal optimism that enabled this Wilson grad to graduate with honors from Penn State. He refused to be a bystander or a victim. Matt’s family and many friends know that he blessed their lives with his example of attitude and love. Matt was an avid sports fan and somewhat of an authority. He enjoyed politics and current events. Matt is deeply missed by his family members who are sustained by wonderful memories and the lessons he taught them.
The scholarship is awarded to a student who resides in Berks County, Pennsylvania who suffers with cystic fibrosis. The recipient will continue to be courageous in his or her fight against cystic fibrosis while furthering his or her education after high school at a two- or four-year college, university or trade school. Graduate school students may also apply. Students may reapply each year.
Hispanic Center Scholarship Fund
One or more scholarships will be awarded annually to a resident of Berks County who will be pursuing post-secondary, undergraduate education at an accredited institution and whose ethnic background originates from Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Central America or South America.
Scholarship applicants shall exhibit a commitment to past academic achievement. The recipients will be involved in school activities or community activities or family obligations or job responsibilities. The intent is to acknowledge and encourage those individuals who have demonstrated a level of personal responsibility necessary to attend and succeed in a continuing education institution, and who have a financial need.
Past recipients may reapply each year and will be reconsidered along with all other applicants. This is not a requirement, however, applicants are encouraged to file the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FASFA) form by March 1. For assistance in completing this application or the FASFA form, contact Centra Hispano Daniel Torres at 610-685-1807.
Byron F. “Corky” Knoll Memorial Scholarship Fund
This scholarship is awarded in memory of Byron F. “Corky” Knoll, Jr. Corky had a love for the game of golf and an interest in the grounds the game is played on. After serving four years in the Army, in 1961 Corky enrolled in Penn State University’s golf course maintenance program, graduating in 1962. He started working at Moselem Springs Golf Club in 1963 as assistant course superintendent. From 1965 to 1966, he transferred to DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware. He returned to Moselem Springs Golf Club in 1966 and spent the next 36 years as golf course superintendent, retiring in 2004.
Corky passed away in 2006 at the age of 67. This scholarship fund was established by Corky’s family and friends to honor his memory. This fund will provide an annual scholarship to a male or female senior from one of the Berks County school districts (public or parochial) who are planning to attend college to major in either Professional Turfgrass Management or the Professional Golf Management Program, with preference given to students who intend to further their education in the field of Professional Turfgrass Management. In order to apply, the applicant must have been accepted in one of the above-mentioned programs and have a firm commitment to academics by having achieved a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Liz Martelli “Voices” Scholarship Fund
This scholarship fund was established in 2008 by an anonymous donor in memory of Liz Martelli and is awarded to Berks County high-school seniors who wrote articles in the Reading Eagle Voices newspaper, Berks Bards, or their high school newspaper. All applicants must be continuing their education after high school and have a financial need. This scholarship will be judged on the quality of writing, not the quantity of articles produced.
“The act of writing was a bright spot in my sister’s life. A constant. Be it poetry or journal entries or articles for Voices during her high school years, she was rarely without pen in hand. I can’t say for sure if writing was an outlet, a source of pride and strength, a hobby, or a calling. But Elizabeth did it well, and within the pages of Voices what she did was communicate with eloquence and ease to her peers. Often times the issues were simple and light, and her sense of humor was on full display. With the serious issues — topics like religion or education — she commanded an adult perspective on the issues while still communicating her thoughts in the language of her generation and engaging them in the subject at hand. It is no mistake that someone has remembered the quality of Elizabeth’s writing and way with words after all these years; it is my hope that you can draw inspiration from her talent and the words she wrote, but also find within yourself the determination to cultivate your own talent to its true potential, to dedicate yourself to the craft of writing and, perhaps, the profession of journalism as well. Nurture your talent, and strive to share it with others.” – Written by Mark Martelli, brother of Liz Martelli.
Beth Lynn Negley Manweiler Award for Compassionate Nursing Care
Deborah Yoder, Class of 1973 established this award, to recognize a member(s) of the graduating class of the Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences – Nursing Program, Reading, Pennsylvania, who have showed compassionate nursing care. It was established to honor the memory of Beth Lynn Negley Manweiler of the 1973 graduating class. Beth was universally admired and respected for her lifelong dedication and compassion for others. In 2010, the fund was transferred to Berks County Community Foundation for administration.
The recipient(s) of the award must be a senior nursing student at The Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences – Nursing Program who will graduate with his/her graduating class. This award will recognize that senior student(s) who consistently showed compassionate nursing care during his/her enrollment in the Nursing Program. This should be that senior student(s) who is the nurse “you want to take care of you when you are a patient” and has the “heart of a nurse.” This award is not based on academics.
No application is needed. Award recipients will be selected by the classmates.
Greg Prosseda Memorial Scholarship Fund
This fund was established in 2005 in memory of Greg Prosseda. Gregory Joseph Prosseda was born September 13, 1946 in Milton, PA. He was an extremely dedicated family man and a hard worker. One of his proudest accomplishments was being an Eagle Scout. He was raised working in a restaurant owned by his parents and later he worked for the family construction business.
After graduating from the University of Baltimore, he moved to the Reading area to begin a real estate career that would last almost 25 years. Greg was a successful businessman and an accomplished golfer. His shelves were riddled with awards from both the real estate and golf communities. His success in business and his love for golf were only surpassed by his success as a loving and compassionate husband and father. Greg was honest, generous to a fault, forgiving, intelligent and fair. He insisted that there was a right way to do any job. His ethics and integrity were never questioned as he believed you always try to accept people for who they are and never judge anyone. He had a capacity for joy and loved a good laugh. His memory will be cherished by his many family, friends and colleagues.
The purpose of this fund is to provide an annual scholarship to a male or female senior from one of the Berks County school districts (public or parochial) who intends to further his or her education after high school. The applicant must have been an active participant on his or her high school golf team in the senior year in high school and have a written commitment to play on the college golf team, or plan to enter the Professional Golf Management (PGM) program, or plan to attend the PGA Club Professional School. In order to apply, the applicant must have a strong commitment to academics by having achieved a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Irv Noll Memorial Scholarship Fund
This scholarship was established at Berks County Community Foundation in 2006 in memory of Irv Noll. Irv was an intensely competitive person who made his way through life through hard work and took advantage of the opportunities that came his way. Professionally, he worked his way up the corporate ladder to a senior management executive with Narrow Fabric Industries. He was a person that embraced life and made other people feel that they were a special part of his life. He helped other people without expecting anything in return or recognition for that help. Irv was a great athlete in school, playing basketball, baseball and golf during school or later in life. This scholarship was established after Irv’s death by family and friends to memorialize the spirit that represents Irv “Pug” Noll.
Scholarship recipients must possess the qualities that made Irv special: kindness, caring, sportsmanship, generosity, persistence, vigor and a positive attitude in all of life that allows the individual to succeed in challenging circumstances.
This fund will provide annual scholarships to benefit one or more seniors who attend one of Berks County’s public or parochial high schools, and who will be furthering their education after high school, and have played on either the high school’s golf, basketball or baseball teams for at least two years. The recipients must also participate on one of the above mentioned sports teams in college and have a financial need. All applicants must have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale to apply.
This scholarship will be paid after the recipient’s freshman year in college, and upon receipt of a letter from the student indicating that he/she will continue matriculating for the sophomore year, and a certificate or letter from the college coach that indicates that he/she participated on the school’s athletic team for the freshman year and he/she will participate on the team for the sophomore year.
Reading-Berks Association of Realtors® Scholarship Fund
This scholarship was established in 2003 by the Reading-Berks Association of Realtors to recognize outstanding high school seniors who are attending a Berks County high school and will continue their education in a business program.
The fund honors two late leaders in the Berks County real estate community who left a major imprint on their profession. Herbert Bellairs, who died in 2002, was a Realtor for more than 50 years. He founded his own firm and served his profession admirably as president of both the Reading-Berks and Pennsylvania Associations of Realtors. He literally “wrote the book” on real estate procedures, as his Real Estate Fundamentals and Practices is required reading for individuals seeking a real estate license in Pennsylvania. The Bellairs family was instrumental in significantly increasing the value of this fund. Christos Vardaxis, Jr. died in 2003 at the young age of 36 years. A Realtor for only three years, he amassed a record of achievement in his profession that belied his years. He was an active member of his professional association and was a rising leader at the time of his death.
The ideal scholarship recipient will be a student who best exemplifies the legacies of Messrs. Bellairs and Vardaxis: namely an entrepreneurial student with an aptitude for business, a history of leadership in school activities, and a record of service to his or her community.
The fund provides scholarships to seniors at Berks County high schools with financial need who are continuing their education in a business program and who have obtained a high school cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above on a scale of 4.0.
St. Andrew United Methodist Church Scholarship Fund
This scholarship was established at Berks County Community Foundation in 2006 by Dr. Deborah Patt to provide scholarships to members of St. Andrew United Methodist Church who are high school seniors and whose scholastic record indicates success in education. The recipients must demonstrate financial need, responsibility of citizenship, character and Christian attitude, and be furthering their education after high school as full-time students.
