Irondale Schoolhouse and others offer scholarships

WEBUTUCK — With spring arriving, thoughts of graduating seniors naturally begin to focus on their upcoming festivities, namely the day they finally receive their long awaited diplomas. Celebrations aside, however, one thing they certainly should keep in mind as they approach the end of their  12-plus year educational careers is the possibility that there might be money waiting for them in order to continue their educations.

Every year, the people who are in charge of distributing these funds are amazed that at the end of the academic year, much of the money for deserving students goes begging simply because no one has applied for the funds. Webutuck guidance counselors Darlene McLaughlin and Vincent Merendino urge their students to be sure they don’t miss out on any of the opportunities.

This year, especially, it might have been hard for some seniors to focus on pursuing scholarships as the health crisis forced many to take classes remotely, and seniors didn’t spend a lot of time lurking around their guidance counselors’ offices or chatting with their classmates about where to dig up those hard to find funds as they traditionally do in the months before heading off to college or a trade school. But the money is out there — if one knows where to look.

Scholarships are not always limited to just the top students in a graduating class, and school guidance counselors work hard to remind students that it never hurts to see if they might be eligible. The next step is to apply. 

Some applications are quick and easy, and while some forms can be somewhat time consuming, the results can often be worthwhile. Students should be careful to follow all instructions and to work hard to present a compelling picture of themselves that will appeal to those making award decisions.  

In order to focus on the proper scholarships, students should compare their interests, talents and achievements with  those that are of interest to the donating organizations, some of which restrict eligibility to family members. But in many cases those qualifications are wide enough to allow a wide variety of applicants.

While money is sometimes available from national organizations many scholarships are from local sources. 

Irondale Scholarship for Webutuck students

Millerton resident and Irondale Schoolhouse Board member John Brunese noted that even with the historic one-room schoolhouse located at the Main Street entrance to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in Millerton being closed throughout the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two $1,000 scholarships sponsored are being offered by the group. 

The program recognizes students with interest in the subjects that would been taught to students in the tiny building that has educated the hundreds of local history buffs, not to mention local students from days long past. They include, but are not limited to, “history, writing, mathematics and geography.” 

Additional scholarships

In addition to the pair of Irondale Schoolhouse Scholarships, some other free money for college and secondary education is available, though some early deadlines have passed. Students from the North East (Webutuck) Central School District are still eligible to apply for at least seven scholarships with applications available on the school’s website, though deadlines are coming up quickly. Sponsoring organizations and deadlines include: CSEA (April 15), Irondale Schoolhouse (June 1), Professional Nurses Association (May 12), Farm Credit East (April 1), Hudson Valley School Food Service (April 15), TEG Federal Credit Union (May 1), Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley (April 1).

Applications for scholarships sponsored by the school are determined by an anonymous group of teachers and will be due after spring break.

Although there are numerous sources online that offer to find scholarships for students, as with all things virtual, not all are legitimate. Be cautious with any that ask for financial or other private information, and when in doubt, keep in mind that guidance counselors are the best sources of support and information. 

“If you have to pay to get information for scholarships, don’t go to that website,” Merendino said. “You’re paying for free money.”

Both counselors are anxious to help students with any problems that might arise. McLaughlin said, “If we can’t help, we can point them in the right direction.” 

Merendino concluded, “That’s what we’re here for.”