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A Grand Celebration: Group Presents Scholarships

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BY KLINT LOWRY

SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF

Published: June 18, 2008

TRINITY - The road to a college degree got a bit smoother for five brand new local high school graduates and one adult college student.

All six each received $1,000 scholarships courtesy of the Community Service Council of West Pasco at a luncheon held Thursday at Seven Springs Golf and Country Club.

A group of professionals working at various area social agencies created the CSC in 1979 as a way to network, build friendships and to pool their talents and energy to projects for the betterment of the community.

With more than 100 members today, the group stages fundraisers to support regular events geared to help seniors, troubled teens, the homeless and others. Its annual Operation Shoe Box, under way through Sept. 14, sends "a shoe box full of love" - treats, personal care items, and some of the other niceties of home - to hundreds of service men and women overseas.

One of the CSC's most enduring traditions is its annual scholarship presentation, which started as single scholarship to a graduating senior from Gulf High School. As the CSC had grown, so has the scholarship program, which now selects one scholarship winner each from Gulf, Hudson, Mitchell, Ridgewood and River Ridge high schools.

The council also presents one scholarship to an adult student who lives or attends school in the area.

This year's winners were: Tamara Simunovic, Gulf High School; Kelsey Russo, Hudson High School; Caitlin McCaffrey, J.W. Mitchell High School; Danielle Amato, Ridgewood High School; and Josh DeGregario, River Ridge High School. The adult scholarship winner was Frank Lo Presto Jr.

Scholarship applications go out to each school in early December. In the first week of April, the group's scholarship committee, headed by Mary Balestrieri, sits down - with a box of tissue, she said - and goes through the applications to pick who will get the scholarships.

"Generally, we only get around seven or eight from each school," Balestrieri said. "We always wish we could give more and give something to each one, they're so deserving."

Having a good grade point average is important, Balestrieri said, but it isn't everything. The scholarships are intended for students who plan on majoring in a "human services" field. That's an intentionally vague category, Balestrieri explained, as recipients are chosen by a combination of factors.

In their application packages, students have to include a biographical essay and three letters of recommendation. The committee looks for students who put in a lot of time doing community service. They look for students who hold down jobs and still manage to maintain good grades. And they look for students who deserve a break, who've faced adversity or hardships and shown character in persevering.

"It's an all-around good kid," Balestrieri said.

As each of the scholarship winners was announced, they gave a brief statement about themselves, the one exception being Josh DeGregario.

"You can't really fault him," Balestrieri told the crowd. "He couldn't get out of work."

Tamara Simunovic's story exemplified the qualities the committee looks for. As a child, she, her mother and grandmother tried to flee their native Yugoslavia, only to encounter unbearable living situations in Italy and Germany. When they got to the United States, they initially found themselves in another bad living situation, and were briefly homeless. After the worst seemed to be over, her grandmother became ill, putting the family close to the financial edge.

Through it all, as she and her mother each work two jobs, Tamara has excelled at school and intends to one day earned a PhD in microbiology or world affairs.

Frank Lo Presto Jr., this year's adult scholarship recipient, also has his sights set on a PhD, in civil engineering. Currently studying at Pasco Hernando Community College while working full-time at a Lowe's store, he said he'd like to reach that goal by age 40. At 23, he has already exceeded early predictions for his academic fate.

"I've always struggled throughout my education," Lo Presto told the luncheon crowd. "From grade one, teachers have always told my parents I would not be able to succeed and go to college.

"I'm going to college now and I have a GPA of 3.5. Succeeding in my goal is my dream."

An extra $1,000 will come in handy, Lo Presto added.

"I paid $3,800 last semester," he said, "for tuition, books. That includes gas and everything. You have to figure that in."

To view more photos, go to Suncoastnews.com, click on the Pasco page and do a keyword search for "CSC Scholars.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com

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