Captain William J Hurley Memorial Scholarship Fund

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Kathleen will be attending the University of Iowa to study environmental science and musical theatre. Kate has been a key member of the Marist speech team and theatre guild, landing the lead in most productions. Kate is also in the Marist choir. In her free time, Kate enjoys singing, reading, painting, playing guitar, and experimenting with special effects makeup. She is a strong public speaker. Addison will be attending the University of Iowa to study computer science and theatre. Addison has been involved in Yearbook, Art Club, Theatre, Speech Team (captain for senior year), Investment Club, Mock Trial, Book Club, Model U.N., Science Club, and NHS. She enjoys painting, writing poetry, and practicing calligraphy in her free time. Addison has participated in theatre outside of Marist, too, and has worked her way into lead roles. She loves performing and hopes to work in the film industry someday!

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Shane has a 4.22/4.0 GPA, and will study to become a certified English teacher at Marquette University. He is a published author who aspires to continue writing in the future. Marist administrators say he is one of the strongest writers they have seen at Marist, and is a loyal and caring friend, very mature, and interested in social justice. Gina has a 4.71/4.0 GPA, and will study broadcast journalism at the University of Michigan. She is a huge leader in the Marist community. She's polite, mature, outgoing, and personable. She is a Student Ambassador Officer, a soccer captain, NHS member, Spanish NHS member, Liturgy Committee member, and SADD club member. Marist administrators say she is very deserving of this scholarship, and that she is an extremely hard worker and is so humble.

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Gage is attending Illinois State University in the fall, majoring in Creative Writing/English. He is a resilient young man who has overcome a great amount of adversity in his life. Gage has maintained a part-time job during high school, taking on many of the responsibilities of an adult to complete his education at Marist. He spends his free time writing and hopes to put his strong writing skills to use in a career someday. Shannon is attending Carthage College in the fall, majoring in biology/health sciences. She plans to become a dentist. Shannon is President of the Art Club, President of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), Student Ambassadors, and captain of the lacrosse team. In her free time, she volunteers at St. Blasé soup kitchens and works as a golf caddy. Shannon is artistic and kind. She loves to draw whenever she has the time.

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Mia Norris has demonstrated academic excellence throughout her four years at Marist, and has earned a cumulative GPA of 5.8. In the Fall, she will attend University of California -Berkeley and major in Data Science. She remained engaged in the school community as a member of the dance and math teams, in addition to NHS, and she gave back to others by volunteering as an assistant cheerleading coach at a local elementary school. Mia is a kind and humble person who has faced a number of personal hardships, particularly her junior year when her brother passed away suddenly. Mia stands out amongst her peers not only for her academic excellence, but also for her resiliency, leadership, and compassion for others. Colin Dillon has excelled in the most rigorous schedule of classes at Marist with a 5.87 GPA. He plans to attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the Fall to major in Engineering. Colin hopes to attend law school in the future, too. He has been an active member of the Marist community, participating in Math team, Student Council, and tennis. He enjoys reading, especially autobiographical books and historical books that expand his knowledge of other cultures. Although he is pursuing a math and science-based major, he values the importance of reading and writing, and took Creative Writing as a senior. He also gardens in his free time. He participated in the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center summer program, where he interacted with veterans and enjoyed learning about their experiences. Colin is mature, intellectual, and kind. William Inzinga is a highly driven, intelligent young man whose maturity level is well beyond his years. His passion for learning and his commitment to excellence, having taken 8 AP classes, is what sets him apart from the rest of his classmates. He is a well-rounded young man who has a deep interest in mathematics and sciences, but at the same time is just as interested in literature and the social sciences. As of today, William's plan is to attend the University of Dayton. His interest in calculus, chemistry and physics has him currently enrolled in Mechanical Engineering. However, according to his English teacher, William is exceptionally brilliant with literature and writing. As a result of this talent, he may pursue an English major instead. It’s not uncommon for William to contribute extremely insightful thoughts during discussions in English class. William has consistently made the Marist High School community proud. He participated in the math, football and baseball teams. He is a dedicated student who is respectful, optimistic, and resilient.

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Grace plans to attend Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, for a major in nursing and a double minor in dance and math. Dance, choir, and musical theatre have always been a big part of her life, and is planning to continue on with these passions through her college career. She takes choir each day at school and afterward, she attends rehearsals for the spring musical, Brigadoon, and then heads to dance at Mongan Dance Academy. She is excited to have a future with these activities, by singing in a church choir and participating in shows in South Bend. She has been on the Deans’ List, National Honor Society, Captain of two soccer teams, and also had a lead dancing role in the musicals for three years, in the International Thespian Society, Relay for Life Committee, Think Pink Committee, and Student Ambassadors. Besides being a soccer player, she has been on cross country. She also volunteers with her family with Pro Labore Dei, making lunches for the Robbins community. Ashley has been active in the Explore Program, soccer, Relay for Life, NHS, French NHS, and Student Ambassadors at Marist. She has been enrolled in a very rigorous program of study, but continues to find time to give back to the community. She has volunteered with St. Vincent de Paul and the Ronald McDonald House. Ashley also speaks three languages! She is mature, friendly, dependable, and goal-oriented. Ashley is the oldest in her big family, all of whom attend Marist and St. Linus. Ashley plans to attend Butler University in the fall to pursue a career in Pharmacy.

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Maeve Hurley's essay in her own words:

The first novels I ever fell in love with where definitely ones I wasn’t supposed to be reading. Like every kid my age, I was fascinated with the glamour that seemed to come with being an adult. Adults didn’t get scrapes on their knees, adults never got talked down to, adults were important. I was an unusually small pre-teen with pale, sickly skin and feelings too big for my body. More than anything, I wanted to feel important. The first object to grant me that feeling of importance was a wicker basket full of aged copies of the 007 novels. The books had mature covers with ruby red page linings. They belonged to my uncle, someone every kid in my family was smart enough to look up to, even just through stories about him. My intrigue alone got me through three of them in a week and a half. For the first time, I felt significant. I practiced the outlook of a man who held the fate of world in his very own hands every time I read them. I felt like the holder of a great secret; I knew a great story. Even if I didn’t feel important as myself, I got to feel what it was like to be. The joy I have found in reading and writing is one that nothing else could give me: unlimited perspectives.

I’m glad to say my tastes have widened to a variety of genres since then. I’ve had four great years at Lincoln-way East reading the classics that I like, frankly, more than I want to admit. I’m all too excited at the opportunity to talk about anything from The Catcher In The Rye to Hamlet. I’ve spent a lot of that time composing essays on these topics. As much as my friends and I would complain about an upcoming in-class essay, there is nothing I like more than scribbling down a passionate thesis on fresh paper. I’m embarrassingly passionate about my favorite authors, including Gillian Flynn, Stephen King, and Oscar Wilde. My self prescribed summer reading list includes King Lear, Wuthering Heights, and of course, a Harry Potter re-read. I also plan to do a lot of writing in that time. My interests in writing are spread everywhere from poetry to short stories, and I’d like to eventually dabble in journalism. That being said, this fall I plan to attend one of the best schools for Creative writing and English in the country: Ohio University. I will be majoring in creative writing in the hopes to light up other people’s lives with my own stories. I am beyond excited at this opportunity to truly explore my passion for reading and writing. I’ve worked hard to acquire AP credits in high school to get a head start on my course load. With a lot of guidance from my teachers, I am confident enough in my abilities to take this huge next step. I hope to explore my other interest in college as well, including psychology, film, and music.

Nature has always been a source for my writing and I am pleased to say the campus is located next to a national park. The beauty of the campus I’ve been able to see has already given me a lot of ideas.

I am so thankful for this opportunity and I plan to take advantage of it in every way I can. Most importantly, this gives me the chance to enable my own stories and grant new perspectives through them. Through my experiences in English the past eighteen years, I’ve learned a great lesson: reading is how we understand each other; writing is how we understand ourselves. I hope to learn more about each in my academic pursuits. James Lynch says finding a home where you can be yourself is important going into high school. At Marist he found that home. In his four years at Marist he has been involved in football, chorus, student council, and theatre. He has found ways to make Marist a home over his high school career, and he has shared his gift of music on stage singing and acting in the school musicals. He is looking forward to taking the skills Marist has taught him to college next year at Loyola University Chicago. He hopes to one day become a sports journalist, and takes great pride in the Capt. William J. Hurley Memorial Scholarship, and is thankful for the honor of being a scholarship recipient. Gina Mayer started her Marist education in the fall of 2015. Since then, the faculty and academic courses have challenged her to become the person she is today. Her teachers taught her patience and perseverance. There will always be obstacles in life, but you have to push through. The advanced classes have given her more than the basics required to prepare her for college. However, on a personal note, Marist has provided her with a family, people who I know I will always be able to trust. It is truly a caring and influential environment. This next school year, she will be at DePaul University. She and only nineteen other students have been chosen to participate in the school’s 3+3 Law Program where they will graduate a year early, completing three years of undergraduate school and then three years of law school. It will be hard work, but she hopes to become a successful attorney after. Becoming a lawyer has been her dream since she can remember and Marist has made that possible. She cannot stress how grateful she is to have been awarded this scholarship and thanks the scholarship and Marist administrators for seeing the potential in her.

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Daisy DiDomizio plans to attend Loyola University Chicago in hopes of becoming a veterinarian in the future. Daisy has been an active member of the Marist community, especially through Band. She has challenged herself academically throughout her years here and has performed very well in her classes despite some personal hardships. Martha Kowalski is intelligent, creative, and quietly thoughtful. She often flies under the radar, and has accomplished much at Marist. She is an active member of the Math Team and has won many awards for Spanish and Art. She will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison next year majoring in Finance & Economics. Br. Hank Hammer says Martha is one of the hardest working students he has ever met.

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Dana Kelly will be attending the University of Pittsburgh and plans to major in biomedical engineering. She hopes to continue on to graduate school and either continue with biomedical engineering or attend medical school with a specialization in surgery. Her interests include: Math, Science, Dance, Theater, and Knitting. Hillary Jones will be attending Lake Forest College and plans to major in Psychology and minor in Journalism or Creative Writing. Her interests include: Writing, Theater, Acting, and Volunteering.

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Ben is a West Beverly resident and graduate of St. John Fisher School. At Marist he has been an honors and AP student. He was president of the Marist Chapter of the International Thespians Society, and he has had the lead role in Arsenic and Old Lace, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Murder on the Nile, The King and I, and the 2016 Spring musical - The Music Man. Marist President, Brother Hank Hammer, says .