From left to right: Andrea Cooke, Jack Michalak, Andrea Paige, Eman Qamar, and Michael O'Donnell.
July 21, 2022 Ticonderoga, NY — The Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance has announced that it has awarded $33,000 in Skilled Career Training Scholarships to five Ticonderoga High School graduates for the 2022/2023 school year.
Andrea Cooke, Jack Michalak, Andrea Paige, and Eman Qamar are all members of the Ticonderoga High School Class of 2022. Andrea Cooke will be attending the Environmental Studies program at SUNY Adirondack. Jack Michalak will be attending the nursing program at North Country Community College in Saranac. Andrea Paige will be attending the welding program at the Advanced Welding Institute in Burlington. Eman Qamar will be attending the nursing program at Sienna College.
Michael O’Donnell, a 2021 Ticonderoga High School graduate, will continue his art studies at SUNY Adirondack on a Ti-Alliance scholarship this fall. This past year at SUNY Adirondack was transformative for Michael. He continues to discover and expand his talents in a variety of media, including having new photographic works chosen for inclusion in the annual student art show in the SUNY gallery. Two of Michael’s original works are currently on display at the Ti-Alliance Ti-Works Coworking Space in downtown Ticonderoga.
“When I return from college, I will officially be a Registered Nurse and will be able to offer so many other valuable services to my patients,” said Jack Michalak. “I feel it will be very rewarding to care for individuals from the community that I grew up in, as some of them may have cared for me when I was growing up as well. I will be able to offer the best part of myself to a small town community that holds a very special place in my heart.”
The goal of these scholarships is to encourage students in our community to pursue careers in skilled trades, remove the barriers to the education needed for these careers, ensure student success, and hopefully have these students live and practice their trades in our community. The Ti-Alliance scholarships can cover the costs of tuition and non-tuition costs such as room and board, transportation, books/tools/supplies, certification or other exam fees, and child care costs. Each scholarship represents a commitment to the student for up to two academic years or the length of their program.
“The Alliance congratulates all of our scholars on their achievements, and looks forward to mentoring them as they pursue their chosen fields,” said Donna Wotton, Executive Director of Ti-Alliance. “It is exciting for us and the contributors to the scholarship fund to be able to help these individual students while doing the important work of building and retaining a skilled workforce for our community.”
For more information on Ti-Alliance Skilled Career Training Scholarships, visit www.ticonderoga-alliance.org/career-training-scholarships.
DONATE TO THE FUND
The Skilled Career Training Scholarships are funded by the Ti-Alliance, the Tony J. and Jean H. DiFebbo Educational Trust, and generous donors to the scholarship fund. The Alliance has a goal to build a scholarship endowment fund so it can be self-sustaining for years to come. To contribute, visit the Ti-Alliance website and click on a DONATE button; you can designate your donation for the scholarship fund in the drop-down menu. OR send your donation to Ti-Alliance, P.O. Box 247, Ticonderoga, NY 12883 and note “Scholarships” in the memo area.
More information on how to donate and invest in the future of our students can be found at www.ticonderoga-alliance.org/career-training-scholarships.
Contact: Donna Wotton, Executive Director of Ti-Alliance
Phone: 415-385-4544