In 1986, the Education Foundation’s established their first scholarship. Since then we have been awarding scholarships to outstanding Fairview High School seniors. This year, the Foundation proudly awards the following 19 scholarships totaling $14,500:
Frank W. Barr Memorial Scholarship—was established in 1990 in honor of the 2ndSuperintendent of the school system who served from 1964 to 1979. Dr. Barr was a member of many professional educational organizations as well as a member of many community groups. The $500.00 scholarship is being awarded to a senior who will pursue a humanities and/or liberal arts major at a college of university.
This year’s recipient is active in Stagecrafters, Key Club, and also participates in soccer, track, cross country, and Synchronettes. She will major in psychology at Tiffin University and plans to integrate her love of horses with children’s therapies as a career. Her name is Taylor McCluskey.
Bruce Linden Cherkala Memorial Scholarship—was created in 1991 by the Cherkala family as a memory to their son, Bruce, who graduated from Fairview High School in 1968. While at FHS, Bruce was an honor student, letterman in football and tennis. Bruce went on to graduate from Denison University and then Case Western Reserve School of Medicine with a M.D. degree. Bruce passed away suddenly in 1982. This $500.00 scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior who will pursue science or mathematics at a college or university.
This year’s recipient is active in track, cross country, a 4 year academic athletic. He plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Toledo. His name is Jonathan Krabill.
Mary Lou Chalfant Social Studies Scholarship — Mary Lou was a social studies teacher at Fairview High School for many years. She retired from the Fairview Park Schools and after her retirement established this scholarship. This $500 scholarship is awarded to an outstanding social studies student who will be pursuing a career in Social Sciences or Social Studies Education.
This year the Foundation has taken over this scholarship which has not been given out the last couple years. Since we did not have an applicant who is going into social studies education, we decided to give this scholarship to a student who demonstrated his love of SS and history. This student always maintained an “A” average in Social Studies and it would not be unusual for him to watch the history channel and then come in the next day and want to discuss the program with his Social Studies teachers. He will be studying Chemical Engineering at Cleveland State University. His name is Joe Paracsi.
Coca Cola Scholarship – was established in 2007 through the Coca Cola Bottling Company. This year we have two $1,000.00 scholarships to be awarded. Criteria for these scholarships are overall academic/community and school achievement.
The first recipient is a young lady who is ninth in her class. She is involved in Student Council for 4 years and three of them as president. She is also involved in Key Club, NHS, Stagecrafters and four years of varsity soccer. She has been on the honor roll, a scholar athletic, homecoming queen, PTA Reflection winner. She will be studying psychology and would like to be a school psychologist. She will be going to Wittenberg University. Her name is Kelsey Lorko.
The second winner is a young lady who is number two in her class. She has been involved with student council for 4 years, NHS for 2 years and is NHS president this year. She has been an academic scholar and involved with stagecrafters. She has also volunteered at St. John Westshore Hospital for the last 3 years. She will be attending CSU to become a nurse. Her name is Caroline Weaver.
Maureen Cundiff Memorial Scholarship – established as a scholarship in 2007 through donations made by community and friends for the Cundiff Family. Maureen was a very active person in the community, including being a member of the board of education, president of PTA, member of the Gemini Committee and many more organizations. She gave so much of herself to her family and community that having a scholarship in her memory is a wonderful way to remember her. The scholarship is a $500.00 scholarship and the scholarship is to be awarded to an outstanding female varsity athletic.
This year’s recipient has played varsity basketball for four years and also played with the National Basketball Academy on an AAU team. She is an academic athletic and involved with the show choir. She will be attending Mount Union College majoring in sports business. Her name is Rosalie Morrison.
Laura Dean Memorial Scholarship—established in March 2001 through a bequest of funding from the estate of a former Fairview Park teacher and former Fairview High principal, Laura Dean. Ms. Dean’s teaching and administrative career in the Fairview Park Schools began in 1929 and lasted for 45 years. Her first assignment was teaching mathematics to elementary students and later serving as the second principal of Fairview High School. It was at her request that the scholarship awards be given to young women pursuing careers in mathematics or in the field of applied mathematics. Two $1,000.00 scholarships are awarded each year to deserving graduating female seniors.
The year’s first recipient is a student who is number three in her class. She is involved with student council, NHS and played soccer. She has been a scholar athletic or academic athletic all four years. She will be studying nursing at Ohio State University. Her name is Lindsay Harwood.
The second recipient is involved with stagecrafters, on the academic team and very active in orchestra. She has been in NHS for two years. She plans on attending Mercyhurst College for forensic medicine. Her name is Adrian Monty.
Dorothy Graab Memorial Scholarship — was established in 2013 by children Donald and Janet Graab Miller in memory of their mother Dorothy Graab. She graduated from Warwood High School in West Virginia where she played oboe and glockenspiel in the band and graduated as the valedictorian in 1944. After graduation, she enrolled at Northwestern University where she majored in chemistry. Dorothy continued to study piano until graduation. In 1948 she joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), a forerunner of NASA, as a chemist at the Lewis Research Center.
Dorothy was an active volunteer in civic and community groups. She served as PTA president multiple times and was an elected school board member, ultimately serving as president of the Fairview Park School Board.
A lifelong lover of music, Dorothy was an accomplished piano player who took great pleasure and pride over the years in supporting the Cleveland Orchestra. This $750 scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior who is active in one or more music programs but is not necessarily pursuing that at a college or university.
This year’s recipient is sixth in his class and has been a member the band since 5th Grade as a saxophone player. He has been involved with the FHS Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Pep Band and Jazz Ensemble. He is currently the first chair saxophone and is the Band’s Vice-President. He is a very musical student and has displayed a great deal of leadership working with younger students. He will be studying engineering at either Cincinnati or Ohio State University. His name is Blake Beard.
Judson Graab Memorial Scholarship — was established in 2013 by children Donald and Janet Graab Miller in memory of their father Judson Graab. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University where he majored in chemistry. Judson’s time at Ohio Wesleyan was interrupted by his service in the US Army during World War II. Upon graduation in 1948 he joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), a forerunner of NASA, as a chemist at the Lewis Research Center.
Judson remained at NASA for his entire career, serving as the longtime head of the analytical chemistry department and he retired in 1978. Judson was also part of the team of parents who created the Fairview Park Band Boosters and establishing the annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast. Upon his retirement, Judson worked in the Fairview High School auto shop as a volunteer. His continued support was acknowledged by the Fairview Park Education Association with their Friend of Education award in 1992. This $750 scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior who will pursue a degree in the sciences at a college or university.
This year’s recipient is involved in soccer, baseball and NHS. He has been an academic athletic. He has been involved in NASA Interdisciplinary National Science Project. He would like to be an aerospace engineer working someday at NASA. He will be studying at either the University of Cincinnati or Syracuse University. His name is Kyle Starks.
Fred J. & Betty J. Helwig Scholarship—this scholarship is given in the names of their parents’ honor by the Helwig children. The scholarship was created in 1999 and funded each year by the Helwig children. The two scholarships of $1,000 each are awarded to hard-working students who demonstrate initiative, self-motivation, and a desire to achieve and have overcome adversity in their lives. In addition to the scholarship award, the scholarship recipient’s names will be added to a permanent plaque that hangs in the Fairview High School halls to commemorate this award.
The first recipient has made a remarkable change in his academic scores. He has gone from a C/D average in 9th – 10th grade to an A/B average in 11th – 12th grade. In achieving his grade average he will be the first of his siblings to graduate, something he has worked very hard to achieve. He has gone even further because he has been accepted to Bowling Green State University to study Sports Management. His name is Patrick Markham.
The second recipient is a student who has enjoyed all the successes of high school due to her positive attitude and strong academic skills. In her own words, she attributes her success to her parents who never let her give up on her journey of being deaf. She has cochlear implants which has given her motivation to succeed as well as she has. She just competed in a Cochlear Celebration and won the first place video at that conference. She will be attending Ohio University and would like to be a pediatric occupational therapist. Her name is Sarah Lyman.
Mary Hoertz Memorial Scholarship—a $250.00 scholarship is given to a graduating senior who has shown leadership, community involvement, school participation and academic ability.
This year’s recipient has played basketball for 4 years and was the team captain during his senior year, He also played tennis his senior year as well as been part of the broadcast club. He has been a scholar athletic and plans on studying accounting at the Ohio State University. His name is Brian Arnold.
Michael Holick Memorial Scholarship —this $500.00 scholarship was established in 2008 by the Holick family. Michael Holick was proud to be a resident of Fairview Park for 56 years and loved his community. He was married to Jeanne in 1951 and his four children are all graduates of Fairview High School. His talents as a master finish carpenter for 56 years are appreciated today as he is responsible for building his family home and homes for his children in Fairview Park, in addition to rebuilding the corner of West 204th Street and Lorain Road. He was also involved with many building, renovating and remodeling projects in the Cleveland vicinity. Michael was an active member of the Carpenters Local Union 1108 and the memory of his talents, love and support of his family and pride in his city will shine forever. This scholarship is awarded to a student who is going into a trade through a technical or 4 year college.
This year’s recipient is the President of Key Club this year along with being the Orchestra president. She has received Academic and Athletic Scholar awards as well as the Directors award for Orchestra. She would like to be a sonographer at a local hospital and will attend this program at Cuyahoga Community College. Her name is Emilee Beamer.
Robert V. Kundmueller Memorial Scholarship — was established in 1998 by the Kundmueller Family and funded on behalf of the proceeds from the Foundation’s annual fundraiser, the Robert V. Kundmueller Memorial Golf Tournament. In its eighteen years of running, proceeds have totaled $100,000 from the golf outing. Bob was the Foundation’s founding treasurer and trustee in addition to a local business owner in the City of Fairview Park for many years. Having six children educated in the Fairview School System, Bob was a strong advocate and supporter of the Fairview schools, numerous civic organizations and a FP Citizen of the Year recipient. This scholarship is awarded to a student showing outstanding academic achievement as well as community and school participation. This scholarship is for $2,000.00.
This year’s recipient is number one in her class and the class valedictorian. She has been involved with Student Council 4 years and is senior class president, Key Club 4 years, NHS the last two years where she is vice president this year. She has also played soccer and synchronette. She has a great love of art and has won numerous art awards and her artwork has been used in three of the Fairview Park calendars. She will be attending Miami University where she will be studying architecture. She has also been accepted into the colleges Art Scholar Program. Her name is Noel Novak.
Lewis F. Mayer Memorial Scholarship—a $500.00 scholarship is awarded to an outstanding Fairview High School senior, in memory of Mr. Mayer, a humanitarian of Fairview Park, an educator, principal and the first superintendent of the Fairview Park Schools, serving from 1921 to 1964.
This year’s recipient has been involved with student council and Key Club for four years and has been in NHS for two years. She plans on majoring in nursing and Spanish and will start her college career at Cuyahoga Community College. Her name is Lauren Hicks.
Medical Mutual Scholarship—this $500.00 scholarship was established in 2008 and is made available through the Health Insurance Plan that the Fairview Park City School District participates in. This is a yearly scholarship awarded to a student with both a combined outstanding academic achievement and economic need.
This year’s recipient has been involved in Key Club, golf and softball. She has received many academic athlete awards and is on the principals list all her senior year, which is a 4.0 GPA or higher. She plans on becoming a nurse but has not decided on what college she will attend. Her name is Hallie Straka.
Richard Nicoloff Memorial Scholarship —this $750.00 scholarship has been ongoing for many years with the Business Advisory Council, but beginning in 2008, it was named in memory of Richard Nicoloff. Since the BAC has disbanded this year, the Education Foundation has taken over. Richard passed away suddenly in September of 2007 and was a strong proponent of education. He held two master degrees and had a career in banking that took place at the Cleveland branch of the Federal Reserve and at National City Bank. Two of his children are graduates of Fairview High School and his wife Judy is a long time member of the Business Advisory Council and was named Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year.
This year’s recipient is fourth in her class and has been involved in Academic Team. She has been on the principals list for four years again meaning a 4.0 GPA or higher. She would like to study at Baldwin Wallace College and enter into the business world in Human Resources Management. Her name is Sydney Bleyl.
Nelson Russ Memorial Scholarship—established in 2001 by Mrs. Fern Russ, in memory of her late husband, Nelson. Mr. Russ served as the Recreational Director for Fairview Park, served on the Fairview Park City Council and was one of our City’s Citizens of the Year. Mr. Russ served three decades on the faculty at Fairview High and distinguished himself as Fairview High School’s first Varsity football coach. The $500.00 scholarship is given for academic and athletic excellence.
This year’s recipient has been involved in basketball, track and cross country all four years of high school. He has won various MVP awards in both basketball and Cross Country. He was also captain of the basketball team for two years. He would like to study business administration focusing on finance/accounting. He will study at Bowling Green State University.
His name is John Miles.