Albion Alumni Foundation awards nearly $175K in scholarships to Class of 2025

Posted 6 July 2025 at 4:42 pm

Photos courtesy of Albion Alumni Foundation: Alumni Foundation board member Mollie Radzinski congratulates Emily Richardson as she receives the Jonathan Doherty Memorial Scholarship.

Press Release, Albion Alumni Foundation

ALBION – The Alumni High School Alumni Foundation awarded $174,325 in scholarships to Albion High School Class of 2025 graduates during their Class Night ceremony on June 20. These awards provide financial assistance to seniors as they continue to pursue their educational goals after high school graduation.

The Foundations’ scholarship committee chose recipients for 56 academic, vocational, service, leadership, arts and athletics scholarships. The committee reviewed numerous applications and chose students that they felt best fit each scholarship’s criteria.

Three new annual scholarships were awarded for the first time this year:

Raymond Lissow Jr. Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship was established in 2024 by the Family of Raymond M Lissow. Ray graduated from Albion in 2006 and benefited greatly from Albion’s special education personnel. Ray was very active in his community and thoroughly enjoyed his years at ACS. Sadly, he passed away in 2022 at the age of 34 but left a lasting impression on everyone he met and hopefully he always put a smile on their faces. This $2,000 scholarship, administered by the Albion Alumni Association, is awarded to a graduating senior attending college to pursue a degree in Special Education.

Ray and Fran Lissow congratulate Nicholas Baxter as the first recipient of the Raymond Lissow Jr. Memorial Scholarship.

Paganelli Family Scholarship – This scholarship has been established by the Paganelli family to support the pursuit of higher education, whether academic or vocational. It will be awarded to a graduating senior who demonstrates financial need and actively participates in extracurricular activities, whether related to work or academics. This scholarship is administered by the Albion High School Alumni Foundation.

Coach Robert Ord Scholarship – This scholarship was established in honor of Coach Ord who dedicated many years of service to the Albion School District and the Athletic program. This scholarship is administered by the Albion High School Alumni Foundation, Inc.

Our scholarships are made possible through the generosity of our Albion alumni members and the local community. We are grateful to them for their willingness to support so many Albion graduates through our scholarship program.

If you are interested in starting a scholarship or want to learn more about the Albion High School Alumni Foundation, please contact Steve Hicks, Albion Alumni Foundation President at steve@albionalumni.org or go to albionalumni.org.

Congratulations to all 2025 scholarship recipients!

Albion High School Alumni Foundation Scholarship – Willow Gaines, Krystalin Taylor, Taylor LeFrois, Adysyn Stirk
Paul R. Haines Memorial Scholarship – Leo Bolton
Elizabeth Balcom Smith Scholarship – Madison LeBaron
Golden Performance Scholarship – Alexis Hand
Jim & Susie Fraser Health Careers Scholarship – Alana Irvine
Minier Family Scholarship – Jayden Lewis
Albion Alumni Foundation Performing Arts Scholarship – Mallory Kozody
Coach Richard Diminuco Scholarship for Athletic Excellence – Camryn London
Harry W. Salchak Science Scholarship – Tye Talbot
A.B. Dick Eddy Service Above Self Scholarship – Leo Bolton
Nancy Elaine Lagamba Scholarship – Madison LeBaron

(Left) Jayden Lewis accepts the Minier Family Scholarship from Marissa (Minier) Olles and her daughter Hannah. (Right) Zachary Baron receives the Brennan Michael Carlyle Moody Scholarship from Erin and Jackson Moody.

Dr. Paul Mahany Family Scholarships – Madalyn Ashbery
Hoag Engineering Scholarships – Tye Talbot, Zachary Baron, Seth Krenning
Panek Family Farm Agriculture Scholarship – Oliver Beach
Horton Scholarship – Donavan Braley
Wayne A. Burlison Memorial Scholarship – Kelli Dingle, Keira Zambito
Glassner Family Scholarship – Nathan Garrett, Tracy Garrett
John Panek Memorial Scholarship – James Harris
Ronald L. Sodoma Memorial Scholarship – Mallory Ashbery
Masonic Renovation Lodge #97 Scholarship – Katherine Hollenbeck
Edward B. Archbald Memorial Scholarship – David Rosario
Dr. David and Anita Long Scholarship – Oliver Beach
D’Andrea Family Scholarship – Cassandra Brown
Brandon Bruski Memorial Scholarship – Kelli Dingle
Ralph and Pearl Poelma Good Neighbor Community Scholarship – Mallory Ashbery, Rori Higgins
Jake and Anna Vreeburg Scholarships – Ella Trupo (College), James Harris (Trade School)
Inge Hume Elementary Education Scholarship – Mallory Kozody
Robert P. VanDeusen Memorial Scholarship – Donovan Braley
Moore Family Scholarship Fund – Kenadie Patten

Sawyer Brigham and Donovan Braley receive the Benjamin Dennis Kirby Memorial Scholarship from Ben’s friends. Lucas Martin also received this scholarship.

Sherman Awards – Keira Zambito (Moses Sherman Award) & Dillon Digulio (Margaret Sherman Award)
Benjamin Dennis Kirby Memorial Scholarship – Donovan Braley, Sawyer Brigham, Lucas Martin
Oak Orchard Bowl/Whittier Scholarship – Camryn London, Jayden Lewis
Country Lane Veterinary Scholarship – Keira Zambito
Babbitt Family Scholarship – David Rosario
Matthew K. Gardner Memorial Scholarship – MacKenzie Snook
Scott H. Ward Memorial Scholarship – Mallory Kozody
Craig Anderson Scholarship – Kyle Radder
Brennan Michael Carlyle Moody Scholarship – Ella Trupo, Zachary Baron
Jared M. Fearby Scholarship – Rori Higgins
Edward Fancher Memorial Scholarship – Rori Higgins
Gil and Christine Pritchard Vocational Scholarship – Aaron Flanagan
Lamont Family Scholarship – Kelli Dingle
Kelly Sidari Ricker Memorial Scholarship – Willow Gaines
Gwenyth Hughson Memorial Scholarship – Taylor Lefrois
Nicholas Kovaleski Memorial Scholarship – Oliver Beach
Hoag Skilled Trades Scholarship –James Harris, Roselan Steffan
Betty West Memorial Scholarship – Alexis Hand
Stewart New Scholarship – Alexis Hand
Dick Tower Scholarship – James Harris
Alvin Smith Family Scholarship – Paige Newton
Sperandio Foundation Family Scholarship – Ella Trupo, MacKenzie Snook
Lu Johnson Memorial Scholarship – Xavier Hess
Johnathan Doherty Scholarship – Zachary Abel, Emily Richardson, Zachary Yankevich
Raymond M. Lissow Scholarship – Nicholas Baxter
Paganelli Family Scholarship – Kenadie Patten
Coach Robert Ord Scholarship – Isaiah Riley