The Cheshire Education Foundation takes pride in administering scholarship programs for Cheshire High School seniors, awarding over $30,000 annually to support graduating students in their educational pursuits.

Scholarships are granted in conjunction with the Cheshire High School Guidance Department through applications submitted by eligible Cheshire High School seniors. Selection of winners is determined with unique criteria for each scholarship and often includes those who made the initial contribution to establishing the scholarship and who generously devote their time and energy to continuous funding of these kind gifts.

If you are interested in establishing or donating to a specific scholarship or the scholarships in general, please contact us for more information.

The scholarship helped me in college because it made it easy for me to obtain all of my textbooks and notebooks for my second semester without having to worry about breaking the bank.

I’d like to say thank you to the foundation for giving me the opportunity to be able to work hard and achieve my goals in college. Along with allowing me to explore the different majors my college offers. Whether that is textbooks for my finance classes to textbooks for my interest in automotive.

Thank you again for the amazing opportunity and I will use it to my best ability to succeed in school!

-​Jacob Jalowic, CHS '24, Don Wailonis Scholarship recipient
 

The scholarships currently administered by the Cheshire Education Foundation are:

• The Meaghan Welch Memorial Artistic Scholarship
  • The scholarship is given to a Cheshire High School senior to honor the memory of Meaghan Ann Welch.  Meaghan graduated from Cheshire High in 1997.  She then attended Naugatuck Valley Community College and Endicott College in Beverly, MA, and graduated from Clark University in Worcester, Ma in 2001.  She was an accomplished artist.  Her musical accomplishments included piano, flute, violin, and the viola.  Her choral accomplishments continued through college singing with the college choir and even touring in Quebec.  This scholarship helps keep Meaghan’s dream job alive.

• Chapman School Scholarship
  • The scholarship is given to a Cheshire High School senior who attended Chapman Elementary School for at least one year of his/her elementary school experience.  The Chapman School Scholarship was established to honor Chapman School’s 50th anniversary (1950-2000).  The recipient of this scholarship should exhibit the positive qualities of citizenship that we strive to develop at Chapman School. The recipient of the Chapman School Scholarship must also have a record of demonstrated school citizenship and service to their community and/or church.

• Lombardo Family Scholarship
  • The scholarship shall be awarded to a Cheshire High School senior who clearly demonstrates financial need.  Other qualifications, as prioritized include: ambition to fulfill their chosen field of high education in the letter of application or in the required essay, applicants who are pursuing higher education leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate in a technology-related field, academic grades in high school or a high enough level to convince the scholarship committee of the probability of success in their chosen field.

• Lois Rho Memorial/Cheshire Education Foundation Scholarship​
  • This Scholarship is offered in memory of Lois Rho and by the Cheshire Education Foundation. Lois Rho, as the Creator, Director and Principal of the Darcey Early Childhood Center, had a vision to support children with challenges in learning throughout their lifetime! This vision has made and continues to make a monumental impact in the Town of Cheshire. Lois Rho embraced the concept of inclusion, in its infancy, and felt that every child has an opportunity to learn and succeed to their maximum potential. It is on her
    behalf that his scholarship will be given to carry on her progressive thoughts of lifelong opportunities for all individuals.

• Cheshire Education Foundation General Scholarship
  • This scholarship is offered by the Cheshire Education Foundation whose mission is “To Supplement and Enhance the Quality of Public Education in Cheshire.” The scholarship is funded by unrestricted scholarship monies donated to the Cheshire Education Foundation, Inc. 
    To be considered for the General Scholarship a student must be a graduating senior of Cheshire High School who is pursuing their education at an accredited institution of high learning.  The student should show academic promise, community and school involvement, and financial need.

• The BALSO Foundation Scholarships  
  • Graduating seniors must be a resident of Cheshire, Connecticut to be eligible to apply for and/or receive a scholarship. Selections shall be made by the committee on the basis of prior academic performance, performance on such tests as the committee may deem appropriate which are designed to measure ability and aptitude for college work, motivation to continue the educational process, and upon the basis of financial need.
  • The amount of funds available for distribution will be determined by the Cheshire Education BALSO selection committee and will has be renewed for each of the remaining three years of college, depending upon academic standing, financial need and reapplication.

• Daniel P. Martinook Scholarship
  • The scholarship of Daniel P. Martinook will be rewarded to up to two graduating seniors who are enrolled in the Co-Op I or II Programs at Cheshire High School.  The intent of this scholarship is to reward seniors in the above program to further their education by way of a college, community college, junior college, trade school or setting up a new business.

• Greg Schena Memorial Scholarship
  • The scholarship is given to 2 Cheshire High School seniors, one of whom has played at least a minimum of two years of football, the other, a minimum of two years of hockey.  This scholarship is to honor the memory of Greg Schena who died on May 12, 2010. Greg was a Cheshire High School graduate, Class of 2001. He received degrees in Health and Physical Education from Central Connecticut State University, and went on to teach Physical Education in both the Cheshire and Wallingford schools, and coach CHS football and Moran Middle School track.  The recipient of this scholarship should exhibit the traits and values that Greg felt were important in life: dedication to family, friends and community, integrity, ambition, commitment, strong work ethic, sportsmanship, humor, compassion, and a love of sports. This award is based on academic achievement, school and community involvement, an essay, and the demonstration of financial need. It is given to individuals who plan to work in some way with youth in their post college careers, a commitment so central to Greg’s life.

• Dr. Greg J. Florio Ed.D. Scholarship
  • This scholarship is given each year to a Cheshire High School Senior who exemplifies outstanding student leadership during their years at Cheshire High School.  This scholarship honors the service of Dr. Greg J. Florio who served as an administrator for the Cheshire Public Schools from June of 1991 through January of 2016.  The last twelve years of Dr. Florio’s tenure in Cheshire, he served as the Superintendent of Schools.  The selected student will maintain a strong academic record as a high school student, exhibit student leadership through their activities and actions during their years in high school and demonstrate their personal development in all areas of the Cheshire Performance Standards.

• The Donald Wailonis Scholarships
  • These scholarships are sponsored each year by the Dodd PTA. They will be awarded to two (2) Cheshire High School seniors who attended Dodd Middle School for two full years and have maintained a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 in high school. The students must demonstrate a commitment to community service, financial need and plan to attend an accredited two-year, four-year or technical institution.
  • Two (2) $600 scholarships will be awarded prior to the beginning of the first term and must be used exclusively for education beyond the high school level.