NYC St. Patrick’s Day scholarship winners revealed

The awardees in the college contest are, first place, Meghan Bevan, attending Molloy College; second place, Cathrena Collins, attending Binghamton University; third place, Angela Fee, attending Northeastern University.

The awardees in the high school contest are, first place, Brendan Wilkowski, attending East Meadow High School; second place, John O'Brien, attending Holy Trinity High School; third place, Claire McQuade, attending Long Beach Senior High School.

“I would like to wish all winners the very best in their studies and future endeavors,” said Sean Lane, chairman of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Board of Directors. “The scholarship program is extremely important for us, as it engages young individuals with an interest in their Irish heritage. We look forward to the day when they step up and become the future leaders of this great parade. We are hoping to expand the parade scholarship program in the future”

The scholarship program is funded by the St. Patrick’s Day Foundation and again this year, the foundation is funding nine scholarships, the traditional six parade scholarships for affiliated organizations, and three additional scholarships in the name of Timothy Cardinal Dolan for Irish American students attending Catholic schools that march annually in the parade.

“The board of the St. Patrick Day Foundation is delighted to support the education of the children belonging to the families of the parade’s affiliated organizations,” said Hilary Beirne, co-chair of the parade scholarship program and chairman of the St. Patrick’s Day Foundation.

“I was delighted to see that winner’s families are associated with a broad number of organizations affiliated with the parade. The foundation will continue to sponsor this wonderful educational program in Irish American heritage next year and we will support the affiliated organizations in whatever way we can.”

The scholarship program is held annually in memory of three outstanding past parade leaders -- Francis P. Beirne, Rosemary Lombard, and Margaret O’Rourke. The applicant’s school, college, or university must be affiliated with the parade, or the applicant must be a family member (son, daughter, spouse, brother, sister, niece, nephew, grandchild, grandniece, grandnephew, and great-grandchild) of any person belonging to a parade affiliated organization.

Every year the scholarship panel selects topics that relate to the parade, Irish American history, or Ireland. This year’s college topic was “what makes you Irish?” High school was “discuss the role that Irish immigrants (men and women) played in the formation and evolution of the labor unions in the United States.”

The panel of judges for 2020 includes chairperson Catherine Tully Muscente, Beirne, Dr. Linda Dowling Almeida, Michael Boyle, Jack Calcado, Daniel Dromm, Ann Garvey, Dr. Robert Glass, Catherine Hogan, Mary Hogan, Michael Howley, Mary Pat Kelly, John O’Connell, Ruth Riddick and Laura Travers.