OLEAN, N.Y., August 22, 2023 – Eight Olean High School graduates recently received scholarship awards from funds managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.

Brooke Capito, Laci Deemer, Madison Herner and Naomi Hill all received the Mary-Elizabeth Smith Scholarship.

Hill received $1,500. Deemer received $1,000. Capito and Herner each received $500 awards.

This scholarship was established through the estate of Mary-Elizabeth Smith as part of the Olean City School District Scholarship Fund to support graduating Olean High School seniors annually.

Capito will study business at St. Bonaventure University. Deemer plans to attend Duquesne University to study health sciences.

Herner will attend Buffalo State College to study music education. Hill intends to study biochemistry at Mount Holyoke College.

Jared Morgan and Jezerae Fayson each received awards from the Louis W. Ensworth Charitable Foundation Trust Scholarship Fund.

This fund provides two annual scholarships each at Olean High School: One $500 award for a deserving student participating in the girls’ basketball program at Olean High School, and one $2,500 award for a deserving student who will attend a 2- or 4-year college or trade school who has maintained a B or better average and has worked hard to achieve their academic success.

Morgan received the $2,500 award. He plans to study adolescence education and biology at St. Bonaventure University.

Fayson received the $500 award for a girls’ basketball player. She will attend St. Bonaventure University.

Lily Schena received The Good Samaritan Award for $500.

The scholarship, established by Pierre Eade, an Olean High School educational wall-of-famer and founder of the Olean Homeless Huskies, is awarded to an Olean High School graduate who demonstrates and models exceptional qualities of care, compassion and concern for fellow students and community. The recipient must have participated in one or more Homeless Huskie Night events during his/her tenure at OHS. Community service and active roles in leadership will also be taken into consideration.

Schena will study sociology and political science at Alfred University.

Christopher Bargy received the OHS Walter L. Reisner Unsung Lineman Award for $500.

This $500 scholarship is funded through the Walt and Ruth Reisner Fund, a fund established as an endowment by Ruth Reisner in memory of her late husband, Walt Reisner. The award is for a graduating OHS varsity football letter winner. The scholarship is named for Walter L. Reisner, Walt’s grandfather, a standout Olean football player who went on to play at Muhlenberg College, where he was honored as a member of the all-time Muhlenberg football team.

Bargy intends to study welding sciences at Alfred State College.

Donations can be made to any of these funds at CRCF, 301 North Union St., Suite 203, Olean, NY 14760 or online at cattfoundation.org.

Established in 1994, the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email foundation@cattfoundation.org, or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).