Mountainside scholarships empower students affected by addiction

Mountainside Treatment Center on South Canaan Road in North Canaan.
Provided
Mountainside Treatment Center on South Canaan Road in North Canaan.
NORTH CANAAN — For the fourth year in a row, Mountainside Treatment Center is providing $10,000 worth of academic scholarships to 10 high school juniors and seniors living in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The substance abuse treatment provider created the Mountainside Brighter Future College Scholarships to support students who have been impacted by substance use disorders in sharing their stories and raising awareness of addiction’s impact on families.
Since the program’s inception in 2021, nearly 350 scholarship applications were received, according to Mountainside spokesman Kevin Doyle.
“These stories carry a lot of weight and emotions. It’s amazing to see children and teens overcome trauma and struggles,” said Doyle, who noted that more than 200 applications for the scholarships were received in 2023.
Sobering statistics
Studies show that 21 million children in the United States live with a parent who misuses substances and more than 2 million live with a parent who struggles with a substance use disorder.
Young people also grapple with substance misuse firsthand due to factors such as peer pressure or the belief that substances will help them improve their grades or athletic ability.
According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 62% of adolescents have abused alcohol by their senior year of high school and 46% have tried illicit drugs.
These substance use habits can have fatal consequences, with more than 11% of total overdose deaths impacting those aged 15 to 24, according to NCDAS.
In their words: winning essays
One scholarship winner’s essay, titled “Papa’, the Glass Cleaner,” began: “The world feels small from 1,100 feet off the ground – small and light. My papa’ worked a job where he defied death every day in order to provide for my family. I am eight at the time and my Papa’ is my hero.”
But by age 10, the student wrote, “for the first time, on Christmas Eve, I realize my father is not perfect. Every hero has their weakness. My father’s kryptonite was a green bottle of Heineken.”
Another winning essayist observed how the world seemed “perfect” as a youngster, but as the years passed, “I realized the world was never even good in the first place. My dad started his relationship with alcohol when I was born, so in a way I never got to meet the man my mom married.
“I grew up with him brewing his own beer in the basement and watching him stumble around in the evenings, but my mom always put me to bed before anything happened.”
The Mountainside scholarship, the student wrote in her essay, “will allow me to pursue my dreams in criminal psychology and assist me in helping the people that need it most. I can ensure that they get it instead of being separated from society unjustly.”
Another winning essayist wrote of her mother’s addiction.
“The thing about addiction that people may not realize, is it can be a camouflaged agent of poison: unnoticeable and kills slowly.
“Growing up, my mom would enjoy a glass of wine once a night. However, as we have gotten older and she is by herself at the end of the night, that glass of wine slowly turned into a bottle. My mother’s addiction to alcohol is apparent by all her family members, but not to herself.”
The student noted how that addiction impacted not only her mother, but also those around her.
“My brother who still lives with my mom, gets the full effects of it … When I found out that my mom would sometimes try to pick up my brother from work after having some wine, I immediately became concerned, and almost angered with her that she would put my brother at risk. I offered to pick my brother up from work whenever needed, and this continues today.”
Mission to educate and empower
For Mountainside, the Brighter Future College Scholarship is just one step in a series of community efforts to educate and empower those struggling to reach out for help.
Joskar Yanes, who earned the scholarship last year and is currently a freshman at Tufts University in Massachusetts, said in a telephone interview last week that it represents more than just a monetary value.
“It helped me become more confident in embracing my past. You find a part of yourself,” by completing the process.
Yanes recalled the “ripple effect” addiction had on his family.
“It also leaves invisible scars which are hard to see,” Yanes said. “I felt like I had to hide it. It was a subconscious choice.”
The college student, who is studying cognitive and brain sciences and social psychology, recommended that other high school students facing addiction challenges consider the application process.
“Regardless of the outcome of the scholarship, you may find and embrace a part of yourself.”
Interested applicants are invited to submit a short essay explaining how they have been impacted by their own or a loved one’s substance use disorder and how it has shaped their understanding of the disease.
Through the scholarships, Mountainside strives to assist individuals affected by addiction in the pursuit of their academic and life ambitions emphasizing that this illness should not be a defining characteristic for anyone.
The $10,000 in scholarship funds will be provided to students as $1,000 awards to 10 scholarship applicants.
The deadline to apply for the scholarship is May 1, 2025, and winners will be announced later that month.
LAKEVILLE — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, at her home. She was the beloved wife of George R. DelPrete for 62 years.
Mrs. DelPrete was born in Burlington, Iowa, on May 31, 1941, daughter of the late George and Judy Meyers. She lived in California for a time and had been a Lakeville resident for the past 55 years.
Survivors, in addition to her husband, George, include son, George R. DelPrete II, daughter, Jena DelPrete Allee, and son Stephen P. DelPrete. Grandchildren; Trey, Cassidy, and Meredith DelPrete, Jack, Will and Finn Allee, and Ali and Nicholas DelPrete.
A Funeral Mass was held at St. Mary’s Church, Lakeville, on Saturday, Oct. 4. May she Rest in Peace.
Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville, is in care of arrangements.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
SHARON — Shirley Anne Wilbur Perotti, daughter of George and Mabel (Johnson) Wilbur, the first girl born into the Wilbur family in 65 years, passed away on Oct. 5, 2025, at Noble Horizons.
Shirley was born on Aug. 19, 1948 at Sharon Hospital.
She was raised on her parents’ poultry farm (Odge’s Eggs, Inc.).
After graduating from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, she worked at Litchfield County National Bank and Colonial Bank.
She married the love of her life, John, on Aug. 16, 1969, and they lived on Sharon Mountain for more than 50 years.
Shirley enjoyed creating the annual family Christmas card, which was a coveted keepsake.She also enjoyed having lunch once a month with her best friends, Betty Kowalski, Kathy Ducillo, and Paula Weir.
In addition to John, she is survived by her three children and their families; Sarah Medeiros, her husband, Geoff, and their sons, Nick and Andrew, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Shelby Diorio, her husband, Mike, and their daughters, Addie, Lainey and Lyla, of East Canaan, Connecticut,Jeffrey Perotti, his wife, Melissa, and their daughters, Annie, Lucy and Winnie, of East Canaan. Shirley also leaves her two brothers, Edward Wilbur and his wife Joan, and David Wilbur; two nieces, three nephews, and several cousins.
At Shirley’s request, services will be private.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Sharon Woman’s Club Scholarship Fund, PO Box 283, Sharon, CT 06069.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
MILLERTON — Veronica Lee “Ronnie” Silvernale, 78, a lifelong area resident died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, at Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut. Mrs. Silvernale had a long career at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, where she served as a respected team leader in housekeeping and laundry services for over eighteen years. She retired in 2012.
Born Oct. 19, 1946, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Bradley C. and Sophie (Debrew) Hosier, Sr. Following her graduation from high school and attending college, she married Jack Gerard Silvernale on June 15, 1983 in Millerton, New York. Their marriage lasted thirty-five years until Jack’s passing on July 28, 2018.
Ronnie is survived by her daughter, Jaime Silvernale (Wm. MacDaniel, Sr.) of Millerton, her beloved grandson, Wm. MacDaniel, Jr.; two special nieces, Shannon and Rebecca and a special nephew Sean Hosier. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her brother, Bradley C. Hosier, Jr. and her dear friend Ruth Fullerton of Millerton.
Visitation was private. A celebration of Ronnie’s life will be held in the future. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. To send an online condolence to the family or to plant a tree in Ronnie’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
Christine Gevert, Crescendo’s artistic director, is delighted to announce the start of this musical organization’s 22nd year of operation. The group’s first concert of the season will feature Latin American early chamber music, performed Oct. 18 and 19, on indigenous Andean instruments as well as the virginal, flute, viola and percussion. Gevert will perform at the keyboard, joined by Chilean musicians Gonzalo Cortes and Carlos Boltes on wind and stringed instruments.
This concert, the first in a series of nine, will be held on Oct. 18 at Saint James Place in Great Barrington, and Oct. 19 at Trinity Church in Lakeville.
For those unfamiliar with Crescendo, the award-winning organization was founded in 2003 and brings lesser-known works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods — along with contemporary fusion pieces — to new life. Its performances often blend classical composition with nontraditional instrumentation for a refreshing new take on an established body of work.
Gevert, who is German, Chilean and American, is a conductor, keyboardist and musical scholar. As the multi-national, multi-lingual (German, Spanish and English) creative director, she is a veritable whirlwind of talent, professionalism and inspiration who conceives of new musical treats for her audiences. She also hires and nourishes local talent, sources internationally known vocal and instrumental professionals, and provides her audiences with well-researched program notes for each concert, packaged in lush, full-color programs that resemble illuminated manuscripts.
“It is the excitement about and dedication to the music, along with the prerequisite vocal and instrumental talent, that characterizes a Crescendo member,” said Gevert. “I don’t care about things like how old or young you are or where you’re from — it’s all about bringing these performers together to provide unforgettable musical experiences for its audiences.”
“Traditional audiences for classical music performances tend to skew older,” Gevert continued. “For that reason, I’ve embarked on an effort to reach younger listeners, and have done things like taken a Crescendo choral group to perform at Housatonic Regional High School. I’ve also launched an effort to recruit and train young singers in Baroque singing techniques so they can perform with our existing choral group.”
The upcoming 2025-26 season includes, among other performances, a solo recital and benefit concert on Nov. 22 by the international Baroque opera star and countertenor Nicholas Tamagna. The curated program will include works by Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi.
Two dazzling Christmas concerts follow: on Dec. 6 and 7, Crescendo presents J.S. Bach’s “Sweet Comfort” cantata and Mass in G minor, featuring the full chorus and soloists with a period instrument orchestra. On Dec. 21, the annual Holiday Concert will be presented: “A Tapestry of Traditions: Unraveling the History of Christmas Carols,” with the entire Crescendo vocal ensemble and Gevert on organ.
For the full schedule, concerts details and ticket information, visit: www.crescendomusic.org