Christy Kobasa Awarded the First Springfield High School Casey Feldman Memorial Scholarship

John Gildea (left), Dianne Anderson, Christy Kobasa and Joel Feldman at the SHS Honors Reception on June 2, 2010

The first Springfield High School Casey Feldman Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to senior, Christy Kobasa who will be attending St. Joseph’s University in the fall. The scholarship nominees were based on teacher recommendations and included the following requirements:

1. Possesses a superior work ethic
2. Has compassion for the world around him/her
3. Is caring, helpful and supportive of others in need
4. Is honest, altruistic, loyal, and shows high integrity
5. Maintains a diverse group of friends
6. If possible, but not required, an interest in theater or journalism

Christy was recommended by her National Honor Society advisor, Mrs. Natalie Tanner. The $3000 scholarship award was announced at the SHS Class of 2010 Honors Reception on June 2, 2010 by Springfield High School teacher and theater director Mr. John Gildea. The award was presented by Casey Feldman’s parents, Dianne Anderson and Joel Feldman. According to Mr. Gildea in announcing the award,

Tonight’s recipient of the Casey Feldman Memorial Scholarship possesses some of the same characteristics as Casey, including a superior and driven work ethic; honesty, loyalty and integrity; a very wide range of friends throughout the school; and a compassion for the world around her. This last trait regarding compassion was the one that stood out the most in the recommendation written by her teacher. In the recommendation, the teacher wrote about all the various groups this student has shown leadership and dedication to including the Dance Marathon, the PEER Facilitators, and the National Honor Society. One of the main criteria for membership into the National Honor Society is service, and tonight’s recipient has certainly served her community and much more.

 Here are some of the highlights shared in her recommendation: she organized the NHS’s Martin Luther King Day of Service through City Year, where she and about 15 students went to a school-in-need in Philadelphia to help brighten up the hallways by painting words of encouragement. She also organized a group to serve dinner to many homeless people at City Team Ministries in Chester. Additionally, she organized a group that went to a church-in-need in East Lansdowne to paint the bathrooms and a classroom. She is a worship assistant for her church where she volunteers her time to set up Sunday services. She served as co-leader for the PEER Facilitators, a group that devotes its time to helping other students in need; she participated in the Dance Marathon, a philanthropy that raises money for children with cancer, for four years and served on the Leadership Team for two years, and finally, I personally had the chance to attend her graduation party and witness all the leftovers being packaged up for an organization called “Aid for Friends”.

 These altruistic acts of human kindness showcase the recipient’s selflessness and her true desire to serve those in need, another characteristic that Casey Feldman possessed.

 Congratulations Christy! The Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation is proud of the first recipient of the Springfield High School Foundation scholarship established in Casey’s memory.

Help other deserving students realize their dreams and contribute to the Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation.