Newest MHS Grads to Get Support from Student Aid Fund

Mamaroneck-Larchmont Group Still Raising Funds After 70 Years

by Susan Bell, Mamaroneck-Larchmont Student Aid Fund

(November 1, 2006) On a brisk Sunday afternoon in October, Pia Castillo, a sophomore at SUNY Stony Brook, was on a Long Island beach with other students from her environmental biology class, cleaning up debris from the effects of Hurricane Ernesto. Ms. Castillo, a 2005 graduate of Mamaroneck High School, is one of the hundreds of local recipients that have received scholarships from the Mamaroneck-Larchmont Student Aid Fund in the past 70 years. Ms. Castillo is pursuing a double major in environmental biology and Spanish literature, with a minor in Latin American and Caribbean history. Her schedule this semester mirrors those interests: a heavy load of science courses that comes with being pre-med, and a history course on twentieth-century Latin America.

Ms. Castillo chose Stony Brook for the school’s strength in science, as well as the scholarship they provided. The assistance from the Mamaroneck-Larchmont Student Aid Fund has also been helpful. “Even a small scholarship provides peace of mind because it allows me to concentrate on academics during the school year,” she said. She held down two jobs last summer: waitressing at Chat 19 and an internship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. At Einstein, she shadowed a doctor who worked in neighborhood health clinics in the Bronx, the type of work Ms. Castillo hopes to do in the future.

It was Marie Ruggiero, retired this past spring as financial aid advisor at Mamaroneck High School, who urged Ms. Castillo to apply for a SAF scholarship. Marcia Burkett, who succeeded Ms. Ruggiero, conveys that same message to the students and families she works with: “Scholarships from the SAF plug gaps in the student’s financial aid picture, and enable them to attend college without an oppressive burden of debt.”

Such was the case for Edouard Propper, MHS Class of 2005 and a sophomore at the College of Wooster. Mr. Propper said that his SAF scholarship made a big difference in his ability to attend Wooster: “I would definitely say to anyone considering a donation that the support is great and really appreciated.” This semester at Wooster, Mr. Propper is taking several history courses, his possible major, and perfecting his French grammar, a language in which he is fluent. For the past six summers, he has worked as a recreation counselor at Flint Park Camp. Like Pia Castillo, he is involved in community service. He lives in a residential program house affiliated with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, and has been paired with an eleven-year-old resident of Wooster. “He’s into soccer, like me,” Mr. Propper reported.

Since 1936, the Mamaroneck-Larchmont Student Aid Fund has helped hundreds of graduates of Mamaroneck High School continue their education by providing scholarships to students with financial needs. Support from the local community is the source of these funds.

In November, a fund-raising appeal will be mailed to past and prospective donors. “The success of this campaign will determine how broad and generous the board can be next May, when student applicants are interviewed and scholarships are awarded,” explained Janet Bear, the current president of the SAF Board. “The more you give, the more we can help.”

Anyone who wants to learn more about the Student Aid Fund, or how to make a contribution, can go to www.mamkschools.org and click on the district-wide information line. The SAF Board considers support for local students like Pia Castillo and Ed Propper to be an investment in the community and its future.

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