Hawthorne seniors awarded more than $91,000 in scholarships

Hawthorne Public School District held its annual Senior Scholarship Awards Ceremony at Hawthorne High School, where 49 graduating seniors were named recipients of more than $91,000 in scholarships, Superintendent Dr. Spirotto said.

The awards ceremony, coordinated by Allison Banker Ross, school counselor at Hawthorne High School, honored students with scholarships from local civic groups, athletic associations, unions, and private memorial funds. The program organizers asked students to pick up envelopes with award details from the counseling office next week and said students will handle thank-you letters and disbursement arrangements directly with donors.

Why it matters: The awards represent a direct investment by local organizations and families in the Class of 2025, supplementing students' college and vocational expenses and highlighting community support for Hawthorne High School graduates.

School leaders led the program and publicly thanked donors and staff. Marco Tataro, president of the Hawthorne Board of Education, and Principal Kevin Fister each offered congratulations to recipients and families. Cheryl Pascual, assistant principal, introduced the evening’s scholarship presentations, and Art Musaka, athletic director and vice principal, presented awards tied to athletics. Dr. Pfeiffer, director of school counseling services for the district, also spoke about several foundation and club scholarships.

Organizers described logistics for donors and recipients: when a scholarship was announced, the named donor or representative and the recipient came to the front for a commemorative photo; attendees were asked to refrain from coming forward for pictures and to hold applause until each scholarship summary concluded. Students were instructed to pick up an envelope from the counseling office the following week containing award details and donor contact information.

A sample of scholarships and recipients announced (not exhaustive): the Azzana Legacy Award (Cody Duros and Brethany Savanda); the Brave Minds Project scholarship (Tyler Schneider); the Browning Foshay Award (Grace DeCerio and Thomas Angelo Gentiles); the DiCunzo Family Scholarship (Grace DeSerio, Adonis Gomez, Hannah Hiddai); the Dawn Darling Puente Memorial Scholarship (Pablo Gonzalez); the Hawthorne Baseball & Softball Association scholarships (Maximo Beltra and others); Hawthorne Education Foundation awards (Thomas Angelo Gentiles, Victoria Paul); Hawthorne Rotary Club scholarships (Grace DeCerio, Thomas Angelo Gentales, Colin Huffman, Thomas Mai); and numerous PTO, teachers’, and memorial scholarships presented by local organizations and families.

Organizers said the total dollar amount for all scholarships exceeded $91,000 and that 49 seniors received awards. Recipients included students nominated by athletic and extracurricular groups as well as those selected by philanthropic organizations and memorial funds. Many awards specified academic, community service, or program participation criteria; a number of scholarships favored students pursuing particular fields (for example, engineering or music) or who demonstrated leadership and community service.

The ceremony concluded with thanks to donors, faculty, and families and instructions for recipients to follow up with the counseling office to finalize award details. Allison Banker Ross convened the event and led coordination of photos and donor-recipient introductions.

The program ended with remarks from school leaders and a reminder that recipients should retrieve their award envelopes from the counseling office next week and complete any follow-up with donors to finalize scholarship disbursement arrangements.