Past Recipients

2011 Scholarship Recipients a total of thirty very deserving students were awarded $75,000. We'd like to share these great kids stories with you.

	Patrick Aylward Norwalk, CT St. Mary’s College of Maryland Patrick is a first-time Susan Fund scholarship recipient and a recent graduate of Brien McMahon High School. He is a freshman and plans to major in Political Science. Patrick is a volunteer firefighter in Rowayton; in 2010 he received the “Rookie of the Year” award. He is an avid sailor and sails throughout the year. This summer, as a Make-A-Wish recipient, he was able to glacier kayak in Alaska.		Melissa Beard Newtown, CT University of Bridgeport Melissa is a past Susan Fund scholarship recipient. She has worked in the field of floral design for 13 years and will continue her artistry as a part-time florist while attending college. She has decided to change her career path and is attending the Bridgeport School of Dental Hygiene. Melissa is a volunteer for The Hole In the Wall Gang Camp for kids with cancer and other serious illnesses. She was a camper there and is delighted to be able to provide the campers the same level of special treatment she received..
	Jamison Buchanan Stamford, CT Wheelock College This is Jamie’s second Susan Fund scholarship. Her exceptional talent for art can be seen in her own collage work that is filled with vibrant images and inspirational messages. Jamie sells her work and donates part of the receipts to charity. See page 4 for more information about her involvement with The Susan Fund. Jamie’s career goal is to become a Child Life Specialist in order to reduce the suffering and improve the physical and emotional well-being of children battling life-threatening diseases.		Lauren Busser Newtown, CT Sarah Lawrence College Lauren is a senior at Sarah Lawrence. She wants to go into journalism or publishing so that she can utilize her love of reading and writing. Lauren has made significant contributions to her college as a feature writer for the school newspaper, The Phoenix. She volunteers with America Reads, assisting a second grade class with reading. This is Lauren’s fourth Susan Fund scholarship.
	Christine Canapetti Trumbull, CT Southern CT State University Christine is a sophomore in Southern’s Bachelor of Nursing Program. After she completes this degree, she plans to work with children and eventually pursue a degree in Anesthesiology. Christine enjoys volunteering on the Colleges Against Cancer sponsorship committee and is on the SCSU Relay for Life team. She also likes working with children and had a babysitting job this summer. She rode 25 miles in The CT Challenge Bike Ride in July with The Susan Fund team.		Christina Carpanzano Stamford, CT Manhattanville College Christina is a second-time Susan Fund recipient. She dreams of being on Broadway and also plans to teach voice, music and acting to children after graduation. This past summer, she worked at a musical theatre camp so she could utilize her passion for working with others. She continues to be involved in Jump for a Cure, the organization that she founded. It raises money for children’s cancer research and awareness.
	Joseph Caruso Trumbull, CT Roger Williams University Joe is in his junior year and is majoring in Finance and Economics. He plans on obtaining a Master’s degree. His ultimate goal is to work on Wall Street. During the summer, he worked at Stew Leonard’s. Joe has been a volunteer for the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer at Yale Children’s Hospital for the past 8 years. He plans to study abroad in Florence, Italy during the spring semester. This is Joe’s third Susan Fund scholarship.		Jackson Connor Fairfield, CT Northeastern University Jackson is in his senior year at Northeastern. He has worked for the Fairfield County weekly for four years as a freelance writer covering arts and entertainment in the community. During his junior year, he completed a six-month internship at MSNBC at Rockefeller Plaza working in their booking department. In his free time, Jackson enjoys playing basketball, reading and playing guitar with his band, Oh Boy and the Girls.
	Bradley Davis Old Greenwich, CT Loyola Marymount University/ Los Angeles Brad is a second-time Susan Fund recipient. He is majoring in Sociology and hopes to get his Master’s in Criminal Justice. He would eventually like to work for the FBI or on a SWAT team. Brad wants to dedicate his life to helping others. He continues to work on the charity he founded, BRAD (Benefiting Research Achieving Dreams), which raises money to support research that creates safer, more effective treatments for cancer.		Samantha Dommermuth New Fairfield, CT Temple University Samantha will receive her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology in December, 2011. From January through April 2011, she completed an internship with Easter Seals (SEPA) in Philadelphia. Samantha worked with children who have multiple disabilities and require intensive services. Her supervisor felt that she excelled as an intern based on her prior academic knowledge, personable qualities and professional attitude. Upon graduation, Samantha will begin her clinical fellowship year in Pennsylvania.
	Christina Ercole Newtown, CT Yale University Christina is a six-time Susan Fund recipient. She began graduate school this fall and is enrolled in Yale’s psychiatric-mental health nursing specialty. She would ultimately like to work with childhood cancer survivors, helping them and their families adjust back into “normal” life once treatment is done. Christina was an intern and volunteer at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Connecticut chapter office.		Melissa Figueroa Stratford, CT Bridgeport Hospital School of Nursing This is Melissa’s first Susan Fund scholarship. She will be in the accelerated program at BHSN and expects to graduate in 2013. Melissa looks forward to becoming a nurse so she can give back the same compassion and care that she was given when she was ill. Melissa is a wife and mother of two children.
	Michael Francia Wilton, CT Villanova University Michael graduated from Wilton High School last June and is in his freshman year at Villanova. His dream is to be a veterinarian. Michael has a genuine love of animals and is impressed with the pleasure and comfort they bring to the sick and elderly. He enjoys volunteering and works with the mentally impaired once a month as a “Best Buddy.” This is his first Susan Fund Scholarship.		Marc Friedman Monroe, CT Marist College Marc is in his junior year at Marist College and is a Business major. He is an outstanding student and earned a 3.5 GPA. He also served as a peer mentor. Marc is an avid Ultimate Frisbee player. During this past spring break, he participated in a frisbee tournament in Georgia and in a regional competition at Princeton. This summer Marc had a marketing internship with the Make- A-Wish Foundation.
	Jessica Gangemi Trumbull, CT St. Vincent’s School of Nursing Jessica is a returning Susan Fund Scholar and is in her first year in the nursing program at St. Vincent’s Hospital. For the past two years she has worked at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She is familiar with the staff because many of them treated her when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15. Jessica’s experience enables her to effectively counsel new patients. Her goal is to become a pediatric oncology nurse and go on to obtain her Master’s degree.		Jasmyn Gooden Bridgeport, CT Monroe College Jasmyn is a graduate of Central High School and a first-time Susan Fund scholarship recipient. She is attending Monroe College, a school which offers a comprehensive learning experience in the nursing field. Jasmyn’s goal is to become a registered nurse. Volunteering is also important to her. She has worked at the Cardinal Sheehan Center and has been a member of the VIP College Prep program in Bridgeport.
	Mackensie Griffin Trumbull, CT New York University Mackensie has been a Susan Fund recipient for the past five years. After graduating from Bard College, she enrolled at New York University where she is pursuing her MA in Food Studies. Her career goal is to be a food writer, exploring restaurants, markets and cuisines throughout the world. Mackenzie has worked at Orwasher’s Bakery in New York, has had a work study job as Wardrobe Supervisor at the Tisch theater program and has written articles for Connecticut magazine.		Kerri Holbrook Bethel, CT Villanova University This is Kerri’s second year as a Susan Fund scholarship recipient. She had a wonderful freshman year and achieved a 3.6 GPA. She is planning to major in Business and Communications. Her dream is to work in public relations for a fashion company in New York. At Villanova, Kerri was a member of the Blue Key Society where she gave campus tours to perspective students. She also volunteered at a facility for mentally challenged adult women where she taught Jazzercise.
	Brooke Lorenz Riverside, CT University of Colorado at Boulder This is Brooke’s first year as a Susan Fund Scholar. She graduated from high school in 2010 but delayed her education while she underwent treatment for her cancer. She is delighted to be entering her freshman year at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where her brother is a student. Brooke’s personal statement demonstrates how cancer impacted her life. “I want to thrive while I am at college….I want to be passionate about what I am learning….I want to never let an opportunity slip through my fingers.”		Brian Morais Shelton, CT Sacred Heart University This is Brian’s third year as a Susan Fund scholar. His career goal is to develop and program computer software. He is an excellent student and possesses a strong work ethic. Last year, in addition to his full time studies, Brian worked 20 hours a week for TD Bank and in the IT department at Sacred Heart University. This fall he is taking his courses on-line as he recovers from a bone marrow transplant.
	Lauren Pade Newtown, CT Western CT State University Lauren is a Certified Nursing Assistant at Danbury Hospital where she works approximately 20 hours on the surgical floor while she pursues her degree in Nursing. Her career goal is to be an oncology nurse. She would like to give cancer patients the same love and care she received when she was battling cancer. Lauren also volunteers for Relay for Life and is a volunteer firefighter. This summer she participated in The CT Challenge Bike Ride on the Susan Fund team.		Dylan Pape Stamford, CT Norwalk Community College Dylan is a returning Susan Fund scholarship recipient and is studying Nursing at NCC. His cancer experience has shaped the focus of his life. He enjoys interacting with people and feels that he has developed a deep compassion for others. His reference noted that Dylan exemplifies the courage and determination of scholarship honorees. In addition to his studies, Dylan works part-time at a dermatologist’s office. He was part of The Susan Fund team in The Connecticut Challenge Bike Ride.
	Alexander Polyakov Norwalk, CT Tufts University Alexander is in his sophomore year and is a second-time Susan Fund recipient. He is studying Cognitive Science. He wrote, “I would like to learn about linguistic processing, human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence and apply them to the software development industry.” Alexander has many interests including haute cuisine, snowboarding, theater and artificial intelligence.		Nicole Roberts Norwalk, CT Roger Williams University Nicole had a very successful first year at Roger Williams where she earned a 3.5 GPA. She was a member of SOAR, a leadership program for freshman and sophomores, the Pre-med/Pre-vet club and worked in the Biology laboratory. Nicole plans on majoring in biology and psychology and hopes to pursue a career in medicine or medical research. She returned to school early this year to train for her role as a RA (resident assistant).
	LeAnna Sekelsky Stratford, CT Springfield College This is LeAnna’s first Susan Fund Award. She was diagnosed with cancer a few months before she entered her senior year of college. With great determination, she underwent treatment, graduated with her class and held a job. LeAnna is studying for her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and will graduate next year. Her goal is to work with children as a counselor.		Marion Smith Fairfield, CT University of MA Dartmouth Marnie is a talented weaver and enjoys spending time creating beautiful things. She brought a shawl to her interview which demonstrated the intricacy of her work and unique use of color. Her plan is to major in Fibers/Textiles. Marnie reflected that she is also happy when she is helping other people. She would eventually like to pursue a degree in Special Education. This is Marnie’s second Susan Fund scholarship.
	Martha Stout Southport, CT Emerson College Martha is working toward her BA in Theatre Studies: Acting at Emerson. She is a student, an actress and a leader. She would eventually like to be an artistic director of a theater company created by her and her fellow actors. During the school year Martha worked at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston. This past summer she worked at the Westport Playhouse. This is Martha’s second Susan Fund scholarship.		Ryan VanZant Fairfield, CT Western CT State University Ryan is in his junior year and is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He is a second-time scholarship recipient. He would like to go on to obtain his MBA from Fairfield University. Ryan has been a volunteer and speaker for CancerCare since 2008. He also works at Sunny Daes Ice Cream in Westport and Fairfield and volunteers for Relay for Life. His references describe him as a hard-working young man.
	Neysa Vishinsky Bridgeport, CT University of Connecticut Neysa is in her sophomore year and is a second- time Susan Fund scholarship recipient. She had an excellent freshman year and is determined to be accepted into the Sports Management program at UCONN. Volunteering is important to Neysa. She has been a tutor for elementary children, worked for Husky Sport and for Habitat for Humanity. Her letter of recommendation noted that she is a role model for other young people in her community. This past summer she interned for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.		James Zarifis Newtown, CT Southern CT State University Jimmy is in his junior year and is a three time scholarship recipient. Last year he earned a 3.08 average and had a job on campus. Jimmy loves the Yankees and would someday like to work in the sports industry either for the Yankees or ESPN. During the summers he works for Newtown Parks and Recreation. Jimmy was the keynote speaker for Southern’s Relay for Life. He is described as possessing “motivation, enthusiasm and a willingness to always help others.”

see 2010 Recipients    see 2009 Recipients