Scholarship Winners : The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund

2024 Winner - Kaylie Brown

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Kaylie Brown

Hagerstown, MD, May 21, 2024 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Kaylie Brown has received the 2024 Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually to a female Williamsport High School senior, provides $5,000 over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, and leadership and shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness, and positive outlook.

Kaylie maintained a 4.13 grade point average at Williamsport High School, graduating with highest honors. Her academic accomplishments include being selected for the National Honor Society and the Music Honor Society. In addition to her classroom achievements, Kaylie excelled in golf for the Wildcats, where she was a three-year varsity letter winner and earned first place in the Girl’s Maryland Senior Open (1A-2A). Kaylie was a member of the student government and active in music and arts as a member of the Williamsport High School Chamber Singers, Drama Department, Apollo Civic Theater, Authentic Community Theater, and national anthem performer at all Williamsport High School home sporting events. Kaylie will attend Shepherd University (Shepherdstown, WV) in the fall, where she intends to pursue a career in education and play golf for the Rams.

2023 Winner - Naomi Nance

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Naomi Nance

Hagerstown, MD, May 23, 2023 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Naomi Nance is the 2023 Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship recipient. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The scholarship award recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, and leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness, and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School, Naomi maintained a 4.47 grade point average, graduating with highest honors. Her academic accomplishments include being selected for the National Honor Society and the President of Math Honor Society. In addition to her classroom achievements, Naomi excelled running Cross Country for the Wildcats, where she was a four-year varsity letter winner, and placed in the top 25 at the 2021 Washington County Cross Country Championship, during her junior year. Naomi also models her strong faith and has proudly been a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the past six years serving as a Huddle Leader. Naomi was also a standout in the Williamsport High School Music Program, where she was the Orchestra Concertmaster her senior year and was selected for All-County Orchestra, in the First Violin section, in 2022 and 2023. In her senior year, Naomi also participated in Solo and Ensemble Festival where she earned a Superior (I) rating for her violin solo. In addition to her involvement in school, Naomi is also heavily involved in her local community as she volunteers at her church’s food bank and sings on her church worship team. Naomi will attend the University of Maryland Baltimore County (Catonsville, MD) in the fall, where she intends to study chemistry and pursue a PhD to obtain her goal of becoming a Pharmaceutical Chemist.

2022 Winner - Jenna Murray

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Jenna Murray

Hagerstown, MD, May 26, 2022 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Jenna Murray is the 2022 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Jenna maintained a grade point average of 4.1, graduating with highest honors. Her academic accomplishments include being selected for the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society. In addition to excelling in the classroom, Jenna excelled on the volleyball court for the Wildcats where she was a three-year varsity player and two-year letter winner. Jenna was a leader in the Williamsport High School community serving as Senior Class Co-President and she was active in the Student Government Association, the Best Buddies program, and Interact Club. Jenna will be attending Shenandoah University (Winchester, VA) in the fall where she intends to pursue studies in exercise science for a career in occupational therapy.

2021 Winner - Paige Mason

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Paige Mason

Hagerstown, MD, May 27, 2021 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Paige Mason is the 2021 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Paige maintained a grade point average of 4.2, graduating with highest honors. Her academic accomplishments include being selected for the National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society, and the Math Honor Society. In addition to excelling in the classroom, Paige excelled on the volleyball court for the Wildcats. Her volleyball career honors include team captain her senior year. Paige has also been active in the Williamsport community as a member of the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Youth Group. Paige will be attending McDaniel College (Westminster, MD) in the fall where she intends to pursue studies in elementary education.

2020 Winner - Mackenzie Shank

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Mackenzie Shank

Hagerstown, MD, June 1, 2020 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Mackenzie Shank is the 2020 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Mackenzie maintained a grade point average of 4.35, graduating with highest honors. In addition to excelling in the classroom, Mackenzie excelled on the volleyball court for the Wildcats, earning many all-county and all-conference team selections. Her volleyball career honors include team captain her senior year and a state championship her junior year. Mackenzie has also been a leader serving the Williamsport community as President of the Best Buddies program. Mackenzie will be attending Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) in the fall where she intends to pursue studies for a career in biology/pre-med and play volleyball for the Royals.

2019 Winner - Samantha Brawner

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Samantha Brawner

Hagerstown, MD, June 3, 2019 - The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Samantha Brawner is the 2019 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 spread over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Samantha maintained a grade point average of 3.2 while excelling on the soccer, track and field (outdoor and indoor), and cross country teams. Samantha was team captain of soccer and outdoor track and field her senior year, earning all-county honors in both sports. Samantha also participated in all four years of all-county orchestra and was active in many student clubs and community organizations. Samantha will be attending East Stroudsburg University (East Stroudsburg, PA) in the fall where she intends to pursue studies for a career in education and run cross country for the warriors.

2018 Winner - Portia Dobrzanski

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Portia Dobrzanski

Hagerstown, MD, June 6, 2018 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Portia Dobrzanski is the 2018 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 spread over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Portia maintained a grade point average of 4.0 while excelling on the basketball and track and field teams. Portia was a four-year varsity letter winner in track and field and a two-year varsity letter winner in basketball. In addition to being an accomplished student-athlete, Portia was a leader in serving the Williamsport community, volunteering for many community improvement organizations. Portia will be attending Shepherd University (Shepherdstown, WV) in the fall where she intends to pursue studies for a career in education.

2017 Winner - Kaitlin Murphy

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Kaitlin Murphy

Hagerstown, MD, May 29, 2017 - The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Kaitlin Murphy is the 2017 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 spread over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Kaitlin maintained a grade point average of 4.2 while excelling on the volleyball and basketball teams. Kaitlin was a four‐year varsity letter winner in both sports, leading the volleyball team to a state championship in her senior year and the basketball team to the state championship game in her junior year. In addition to being an accomplished student‐athlete, Kaitlin was a leader in the Williamsport High School community. She served as Senior Class Vice President, National Honor Society Treasurer, and President of the Science National Honor Society. Kaitlin will be attending McDaniel College (Westminster, MD) in the fall where she intends to pursue studies for a career in the medical field.

Jonna Vinci, Samantha's mother and Scholarship Committee Chairman noted, "Kaitlin has a bright future ahead of her. We are happy to be able to help her with this scholarship."

2016 Winner - Charlotte Strite

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Charlotte Strite

Hagerstown, MD, May 29, 2016 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Charlotte Strite is the 2016 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 spread over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Charlotte maintained a grade point average of 4.1 while excelling on the tennis and soccer teams. Charlotte was a four‐year varsity letter winner in Tennis and a two‐year varsity letter winner in Soccer. In addition to being an accomplished student‐athlete, Charlotte was a leader in the Williamsport High School community. She served as Senior Class President, National Honor Society President, and President of Students Against Destructive Decisions. Charlotte will be attending Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) in the fall where she intends to pursue studies for a career as a Physician Assistant.

Jonna Vinci, Samantha's mother and Scholarship Committee Chairman noted, "Charlotte has had an amazing high school career as a student, leader, and athlete. We are excited to honor her and assist with her college education with this scholarship."

2015 Winner - Alexis Cline

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Alexis Cline

Hagerstown, MD, May 31, 2015 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Alexis Cline is the 2015 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $4,000 spread over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Alexis maintained a grade point average of 4.1 while excelling on the volleyball and basketball teams. Alexis was a two-year varsity letter winner in both Girls Volleyball and Basketball. In her senior year she earned All‐Conference and All-County honors from the Monocacy Valley Athletic League coaches and from the Herald Mail sportswriters in both sports. In addition to her accomplishments in the classroom and on the courts, Alexis is actively involved in her community through service as a Link Crew Leader mentoring younger students, in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes program, and in her church youth group at Boonsboro First Christian Church. Alexis will be attending the Savannah College of Art & Design (Savannah, GA) in the fall where she intends to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fashion design.

Jonna Vinci, Samantha's mother and Memorial Fund vice president, noted that this year’s selection process was especially difficult, "This year's applicants were all so wonderful, but we are thrilled to honor Alexis as the 2015 Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship winner."

2014 Winner - Regan Stout

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Regan Stout

Hagerstown, MD, June 1, 2014 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Regan Stout is the 2014 recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $1,000 per year for a total of $4,000 over four years to assist with the awardee's college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, and leadership, and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Regan maintained a 3.7 grade point average while excelling on the soccer and indoor track teams. Regan was a four‐year varsity letter winner and captain of the Girls Soccer Team. In her senior year Regan earned All‐Conference and All‐County 1st Team honors from the Monocacy Valley Athletic League coaches and from the Herald Mail. On the track Regan was a State Champion on the indoor 4 x 800 relay team her freshman year, earning All‐Conference and All‐County honors for her efforts. In addition to her academic and athletic accomplishments, Regan is actively involved in her community through service as a youth soccer coach, as a volunteer for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, as a Link Crew Leader mentoring younger students at the high school and in the Best Buddies program working with special education students. Regan will be attending Shepherd University (Shepherdstown, WV) in the fall where she intends to pursue a career in nursing and play soccer for the Rams.

Jonna Vinci, Samantha's mother and Memorial Fund vice president, noted that while all applicants had strong qualifications, Regan had that mix that reminded her of Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook, "In many ways Regan reminded me of Samantha – her love of family, caring for others and outgoing spirit. We are thrilled to be able to honor Regan and assist her with her educational goals."

2013 Winner - Lauren Weicht

Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Lauren Weicht

Hagerstown, MD, June 2, 2013 — The Samantha Kelly Memorial Fund is pleased to announce Lauren Weicht as the first‐ever recipient of the Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a female Williamsport High School senior annually, provides $1,000 per year for a total of $4,000 over four years to assist with the awardee’s college educational costs. The award of the scholarship recognizes a student who exhibits outstanding academics, athletics, leadership and who shares Samantha’s love for life, kindness and positive outlook.

At Williamsport High School Lauren maintained a grade point average of 3.7 while excelling on the soccer and track teams. Lauren was a four‐year varsity letter winner in Girls Soccer, leading the team as captain in her senior year to a 13‐3‐1 record. She lettered in both indoor track and outdoor track, qualifying for the state championships in the 4x4 and 4x2 relays. In addition to her accomplishments in the classroom, on the soccer field and on the track, Lauren is actively involved in her community through service as a Link Crew Leader mentoring younger students, as a Student Government Officer and in the Best Buddies program working with special education students. Lauren will be attending Shenandoah University (Winchester, VA) in the fall where she intends to pursue a career in education and play soccer for the Hornets.

Jonna Vinci, Samantha's mother and Memorial Fund vice president, was pleased with the quality of all seven applicants for this year's scholarship, "All of the girls that applied for the scholarship had excellent qualifications." Vinci noted that it was a difficult decision to select just one applicant but that Lauren stood out, "It was a very hard decision, but Lauren's positive outlook and demeanor combined with her outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments made her our choice for the scholarship. We are thrilled that Lauren will be our first-ever Samantha Kelly Memorial Scholarship winner."

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