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Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial Scholarships
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John York and Denise DeBartolo York, left, presented scholarships to eight Mahoning Valley high-school students, Jessica Fox of Mineral Ridge High School, Brian Boccieri Jr., of Girard High School, Sara Lopez of Salem High School, Aaron Page of West Branch High School, Nilyshia Johnson of Chaney High School, Dana Nocera of John F. Kennedy High School and Diane Moody of Lakeview High School, during a Monday luncheon at the Holiday Inn in Boardman. The eighth recipient, Carmen Moradian of Boardman High School, did not attend.
Eight area high-school seniors receive awards
By Denise Dick
BOARDMAN
Lakeview High School student Diane Moody has been a ward of the state since 2005.
Nilyshia Johnson, a Chaney High School senior, grew up in an abusive home, her mother incarcerated for domestic abuse.
The two girls and six other Mahoning Valley high-school seniors were awarded scholarships Monday from the Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial Scholarship Foundation. This year’s scholarships total $56,000, and over the last 15 years, the foundation has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships.
“I wanted to carry on the legacy of my dad and my mom, helping others in need,” said Denise DeBartolo York.
Students wrote essays about their lives and how they would use the scholarship money.
“I read your essays, and I feel I know you,” DeBartolo York said.
She said she was impressed by the students’ desire to earn an education not just to better themselves and their places in the world, but also to pay it forward.
DeBartolo York and her husband, Dr. John York, presented the students with the scholarships during a luncheon at the Holiday Inn.
“The goals of the foundation have been to reward Valley students who have proven to be hardworking within their community the opportunity to go to college,” DeBartolo York said in a news release. “My father believed that all students who have demonstrated intensity and desire, regardless of their financial situation, should be afforded the opportunity to receive a college education.”
Their hard work and determination helped them overcome the adversity and roadblocks that got in their way, she said.
“Your stories are sad and difficult but also beautiful because I know how they are going to end,” DeBartolo York said.
Moody, the Lakeview student, plans to attend Youngstown State University to study anthropology. She wants to earn her master’s at Kent State University and to pursue a doctorate. Through a tutoring program at her school, she was inspired to become a professor, she said.
The scholarship will help her follow that path.
“I’m a ward of the state, so I can use all of the money I can get,” she said. “My foster parents are very loving people but don’t have the money to send me to school. I’m very grateful for this scholarship.”
After Johnson’s mother went to jail, she moved in with her grandmother last October.
She credits her grandmother and great-grandmother for encouraging her to work hard and reach her goals.
When Johnson graduates, she’ll be 16. She took classes and earned credits above her grade level throughout her school career. She plans to study nursing and communications at YSU, beginning in July.
She enjoys both fields and is thinking about a career that joins the two.
The other recipients are:
Jessica Fox, Mineral Ridge High School, plans to study pre-med at the University of Pittsburgh.
Sara Lopez, Salem High School, will pursue a degree in exercise science at Columbus State Community College and then go on to Ohio State University.
Carmen Moradian, Boardman High School, will study pre-med at YSU.
Dana Nocera, John F. Kennedy High School, plans to study engineering at Miami University.
Aaron Page, West Branch High School, will pursue a degree in psychology from Ohio Valley University.
Brian J. Boccieri Jr., Girard High School, recipient of the Donald P. Pipino Memorial Award, will study physical therapy at Cleveland State University.
Pipino, a leader in the insurance industry, was interested in advancing the educations of students who are financially challenged and preserving his Italian heritage. He was a co-founder of the Italian Scholarship League with his friends, Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., Dr. Gary Bitonte, Dr. Dan DeGenova, Rudy Parella, Nick Polito and Tony Liberati.