St. Martin’s has a long tradition of generous members of our school community establishing named scholarships for the benefit of deserving students. We are pleased to announce a new scholarship to support and encourage Middle School girls in their academic studies and character growth. Teeya Sahni, Class of 2018, has kindly offered to fund this scholarship, which is named in honor of her late grandfather, Parvesh K. Sharma. This individual award will be available yearly, for the next four academic years beginning in 2022-2023. The principal aim of this scholarship is to offer financial support to rising sixth, seventh, and eighth grade girls and encourage serious and deserving students to further their academic achievement and character development. The Scholarship Committee, comprised of Principal Stephen Lamont and the St. Martin’s faculty, will make the final selection of the scholarship recipient based on their review of the application and the student’s academic and comportment records. The inaugural Parvesh K. Sharma Scholarship will be announced at the end-of-year Awards Ceremony on June 10. This scholarship and other annual awards represent a commitment by our school community to our mission, anchored in faith, rooted in service, and dedicated to excellence. In loving memory of Mrs. Arlene Patti, our school’s office manager who passed away suddenly this past May, her family is establishing the Arlene Patti Memorial Scholarship. We are honored to have this scholarship at St. Martin's and incredibly appreciative of the Patti family's generosity and thoughtfulness.
Through the benevolent efforts from our community, we offer five other named scholarships to our students. The Carl Matthew Waclawik Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Carl Waclawik, a graduate of the St. Martin’s class of 2006. The examples that Carl set while at St. Martin’s, of curiosity, creativity, and kindness, continue to be fostered at St. Martin’s. This scholarship is awarded annually to help further the education of a St. Martin’s Middle School student. The Youstra Family Scholarship has been established as a tribute to Jo and Ray Youstra and their family, for their generous hearts and their many years of extraordinary service to St. Martin’s. This scholarship benefits a rising eighth grader who has
excelled academically, shown leadership qualities, participated in service projects, and demonstrated faith through character.
The Branagan Family Scholarship has supported St. Martin’s students for decades in helping them to reach their potential. The recipient of this award is a rising seventh grader who has demonstrated significant personal and academic growth through the course of the school year. Both Branagan children graduated from SMS and their parents remain devoted volunteers to the school. The Annie B. Shaw Scholarship is named in memory of the grandmother of Kaitlyn Matsko, class of 2017. Mrs. Shaw was a strong supporter of Catholic education. It is awarded to a rising seventh or eighth grader who embodies exemplary academic effort and character.
The Mel Washington Memorial Youth Scholarship is a recent award added this past school year. This scholarship is named in memory of Melvin Washington, a leader in the Poolesville community who tirelessly served St. Mary’s parish in Barnesville and the Knights of Columbus for decades. He was a great example of how to lead and to serve. This award benefits an African American youth who demonstrates model citizenship and academic effort.
We celebrate and appreciate our generous alumni, parents, and friends of St. Martin’s School who have established or support these various scholarships to the tremendous benefit of our students’ academic, faith, and service aspirations. The need to support these deserving students is great and we especially highlight these efforts in hope they inspire others to consider helping change lives and build futures.
To enable us to continue to support extraordinary students, please consider contributing to one of these scholarships. To donate, mail a check payable to St. Martin’s School to 115 S. Frederick Avenue Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Be sure to include to which scholarship you are contributing. Thank you and we appreciate your support to St. Martin’s and our students!
