Ocean Financial Federal Credit Union (OFFCU) has awarded its annual “Patrick McNeill Memorial Scholarship” to four members who are graduating high school seniors headed to college, to help further their education. Each student will receive $2,000 to go toward school-related expenses.
Each of the four winning students were judged based on their academic achievement and their community involvement, aligning with the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People” and OFFCU’s Catholic values. They also wrote essays discussing what Catholic values inspired them throughout their lives and what it means to be a trusted partner in their community.
The four winning students are:
- Margaret Dolloff, 17, of Massapequa, NY, graduated from Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale, NY. Dolloff plans to attend St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY where she will pursue a career in nursing. “People say kindness is contagious, and the kindness that I have received from nurses and doctors makes me want to spread that kindness to others.”
- Meral Eviner, 17, of Rockville Centre, NY, graduated from Oceanside High School #7 in Oceanside NY and plans to attend Vanderbuilt University in Nashville, TN. “Reconnecting with my faith had emboldened me to live to the ideals of my religion, establish a clothing business, and become an advocate for others. Pursuing the remainder of my educational career in law and business aligns with my drive to become a voice for the voiceless and make a change on a much larger scale.”
- Grace Peknic, 18, of Lynbrook, NY, graduated from Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale, NY and plans to attend Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. “It was through these clubs that I was able to discover my passion for serving others. It was the tiny actions of service through these clubs that greatly impacted my heart. The smile from a third graders face when she understood how to do a math problem after tutoring her, a prospective student’s smile after giving him a tour, and hearing amazing stories from an elderly woman at the Bristal became the reasons I wanted to continue to serve others.”
- Samantha Green, 17, of N. Bellmore, graduated from Wellington C. Mepham High School in Bellmore, NY and plans to attend Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. “Helping others allows you to be a servant of Jesus, while helping make the world a better place. Since the future is uncertain, giving back to others is something that can be certain.”
Grace Peknic
Margaret Dollof
Meral Eviner
Samantha Green