2012 Scholarships Presentation

Jill McDonnell describes the 2012 Scholarships Presentation at Lafayette Senior Awards Night.

It's a moment we look forward to all spring: Gathering the Class of 2002 Memorial Scholarship officers, along with the parents of Ryan, Eric, Bobby and David, together to award the scholarships on behalf of our friends and their sons to four very deserving Lafayette High seniors. As always, we can not thank this community enough for supporting us as we recognize these outstanding seniors in honor of our classmates.

We say this every year, but the decision process seems to get more difficult with the passing of time. Our applicants are smart, hardworking, driven students, and in the references they have from teachers and the essays they write themselves, we can see how much our scholarships would mean to them as they embark upon their college experience.

Stephanie Sammons received the scholarship in honor of Ryan Trigg this year. Stephanie said it was an honor to be awarded the scholarship, as being a member of JROTC she had heard a lot about Ryan throughout the years. She added that many cadets in Lafayette's JROTC still honor the same values he had and will continue to do so. Stephanie plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in engineering physics.

Our group was impressed by Mihir Parthasarathy's work ethic, as a member of Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta and National Honor Society. His commitment to both his grades and school involvement, as well as how grateful he is to the Rockwood School District for the 12 years of solid foundation they gave him to build upon in his future, is why we awarded him the scholarship in honor of Eric Gabel.

Tawnnie Crisante plans to attend Missouri State University in the fall to pursue a degree in psychology. By receiving the scholarship in honor of David Meyers, Tawnnie feels she will be able to start off her college years with less debt, and said she will strive to keep it that way. She thinks the scholarship is the greatest way that Ryan, Eric, Bobby and David's parents can honor their children, and said that our kindness to her will not be taken for granted.

Corinne Murphy said it meant so much to her to meet Bobby Maessen's parents on Senior Awards Night, when she was awarded the scholarship in honor of him. She said she will strive to live her life in his memory, with the same respected values, and that when she read about Bobby on our website she was struck by how similar they are. Corinne also loves sports and music, going to all the school dances and took Latin all four years at Lafayette. She plans to attend St. Louis University and major in clinical laboratory in the pre-physician's assistant program.