2023-2024 Education Department News
MATT RUSSO MEMORIAL AWARD 2024 AWARDED TO lauren brennan
(L-R): Katie Leonard, last year's recipient, Lauren Brennan, Dr, Beining
The Matt Russo Memorial Award is given in honor and remembrance of Matt Russo. Matt Russo was a student at Saint Vincent College, working towards his bachelor’s degree in PK-4 education. He was in his junior year when he passed. Matt was a kind and gentle soul, a friend to all, a wickedly funny sense of humor, and someone whose future looked very bright. He was a young man that everyone claimed as a friend; he worked well as part of a group and had a very unassuming personality. He also had a leadership side that allowed him to pursue and become a member of the student government. He embraced everything about being a student at Saint Vincent. He joined the clubs of the education department and participated in the events they held. He was proud to be a Bearcat!
During the last few days of his life Matt volunteered to play Santa for the preschool children attending a Christmas event hosted by the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve and supported by the Early Childhood Club. Matt spent a happy afternoon listening to Christmas wishes, straightening a wig and beard that wouldn’t stay in place, and taking photos with children, they would be the last photos of his young life. The next day he joined his friends for an Early Childhood Club Christmas party where he made a ceramic Christmas ornament he would never see completed.
During that coming week, Matt left campus with a family member to have an early dinner before his night class. Sadly, a tragedy occurred, and he never made it to class. His loss was a shock and an unspeakable blow to the Saint Vincent community. In honor of his memory and to ensure that he will not be forgotten, the SGA established the Matt Russo Memorial Award. This award and monetary gift are given to a junior, Pre K-4 major that shares the qualities that Matt exuded.
This award has been bestowed upon Emily Zeh class of 2013, Genie Fratto, class of 2014, Luke Daghir, class of 2015, Hannah Truong, class of 2016, Alaina D’Aloisa, class of 2017, Douglas (D.J.) Hough, class of 2018, Dana Ricker, class or 2019, Dylan Paduano, class of 2020, Jenny Singer, class of 2021, Margaret Loughran, class of 2022, Katherine Senior, class of 2023, Katherine Leonard, class of 2024, and Lauren Brennan, class of 2024. These former students all shared the same redeeming qualities that Matt shared with the world.
This year, the Matt Russo Memorial Award has been awarded to Lauren Brennan, class of 2024. Historically, the award is presented to the recipient by the previous year’s winner at the annual Education Department Senior Send Off Picnic. Lauren is a Prek-4 major pursuing teacher certification. She is an active member of the department, participating in club events and service opportunities. Additionally, Lauren is an important member of the Challenge Program team and is a Fred Rogers Scholar. She has a warm and welcoming personality and is a friend to all that meet her. We can’t wait to her about Lauren’s future accomplishments, we suspect they will be many!
www.stvincent.edu/news/2024/svc-students-cameron-walker-and-lauren-brennan-honored-at-education-departments-annual-senior-send-off-picnic.html
During the last few days of his life Matt volunteered to play Santa for the preschool children attending a Christmas event hosted by the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve and supported by the Early Childhood Club. Matt spent a happy afternoon listening to Christmas wishes, straightening a wig and beard that wouldn’t stay in place, and taking photos with children, they would be the last photos of his young life. The next day he joined his friends for an Early Childhood Club Christmas party where he made a ceramic Christmas ornament he would never see completed.
During that coming week, Matt left campus with a family member to have an early dinner before his night class. Sadly, a tragedy occurred, and he never made it to class. His loss was a shock and an unspeakable blow to the Saint Vincent community. In honor of his memory and to ensure that he will not be forgotten, the SGA established the Matt Russo Memorial Award. This award and monetary gift are given to a junior, Pre K-4 major that shares the qualities that Matt exuded.
This award has been bestowed upon Emily Zeh class of 2013, Genie Fratto, class of 2014, Luke Daghir, class of 2015, Hannah Truong, class of 2016, Alaina D’Aloisa, class of 2017, Douglas (D.J.) Hough, class of 2018, Dana Ricker, class or 2019, Dylan Paduano, class of 2020, Jenny Singer, class of 2021, Margaret Loughran, class of 2022, Katherine Senior, class of 2023, Katherine Leonard, class of 2024, and Lauren Brennan, class of 2024. These former students all shared the same redeeming qualities that Matt shared with the world.
This year, the Matt Russo Memorial Award has been awarded to Lauren Brennan, class of 2024. Historically, the award is presented to the recipient by the previous year’s winner at the annual Education Department Senior Send Off Picnic. Lauren is a Prek-4 major pursuing teacher certification. She is an active member of the department, participating in club events and service opportunities. Additionally, Lauren is an important member of the Challenge Program team and is a Fred Rogers Scholar. She has a warm and welcoming personality and is a friend to all that meet her. We can’t wait to her about Lauren’s future accomplishments, we suspect they will be many!
www.stvincent.edu/news/2024/svc-students-cameron-walker-and-lauren-brennan-honored-at-education-departments-annual-senior-send-off-picnic.html
Kathy Durkin Bendel 2024 Award to Cameron Walker
(L-R): Allie Arendas (Kathy's daughter) & Cameron Walker
Mrs. Kathy Durkin Bendel was a beloved and devoted elementary teacher who taught in the Greater Latrobe School District and at the Holy Trinity Catholic School. To honor her life’s passion of teaching, this endowed Scholarship was created is to represent two areas in which Mrs. Bendel valued: Encourage upcoming and future teachers and supporting a preservice teacher with a high probability of success to transition to the classroom.
This year's recipient of the award is Cameron Walker, a history major with a 7-12 secondary education certification minor. Cameron hails from Leechburg, PA. He is a small group leader for 8th-grade boys at Cornerstone Ministries: The Warehouse. He is also a Student Orientation Director, President of the Education Club, President of Phi Alpha Theta (a historian's honors society), a Class Senator in the Student Government Association, and a member of Kappa Delta Pi, the Education Honor Society. In his free time, he is also the lead puppeteer for the SVC Puppeteers under Dr. Ent and often lends a hand to the Saint Vincent College Equestrian Team.
www.stvincent.edu/news/2024/svc-students-cameron-walker-and-lauren-brennan-honored-at-education-departments-annual-senior-send-off-picnic.html
This year's recipient of the award is Cameron Walker, a history major with a 7-12 secondary education certification minor. Cameron hails from Leechburg, PA. He is a small group leader for 8th-grade boys at Cornerstone Ministries: The Warehouse. He is also a Student Orientation Director, President of the Education Club, President of Phi Alpha Theta (a historian's honors society), a Class Senator in the Student Government Association, and a member of Kappa Delta Pi, the Education Honor Society. In his free time, he is also the lead puppeteer for the SVC Puppeteers under Dr. Ent and often lends a hand to the Saint Vincent College Equestrian Team.
www.stvincent.edu/news/2024/svc-students-cameron-walker-and-lauren-brennan-honored-at-education-departments-annual-senior-send-off-picnic.html
Education Student Service award winners 2024
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Brady Adamson
Lauren Brennan Zachary Choby Azalynn Coblentz Jada Davenport Alyson Frank Keely Hagofsky EJ Kammerer Samantha Lantz Katie Leonard Emma Palombia Connor Petrunak Madeline Schuck Abigail Skundrich Dylan Slebodnik Angel Scalamogna |
