Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Present Check for Corcoran Scholarship at The University of Scranton

Seated, from left, are James Haggerty, president of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County, and this year’s Dr. John Corcoran Scholarship recipients, University of Scranton students Jennifer Hadley and Samantha Garvey. Standing are Donald Boomgarden, Ph.D, provost/senior vice president for academic affairs at the University, and, representing the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County, are William Pryle, historian, Thomas P. Cummings, Sr., past president and scholarship committee member, and Patrick Sheridan, chairman of the scholarship committee; and Joseph H. Dreisbach, Ph.D, associate provost for international education at the University.

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County recently presented a check to The University of Scranton for the Dr. John Corcoran Scholarship for Study in Ireland. This year’s scholarship winners are Samantha Garvey ’16 and Jennifer Hadley ’16 both of Moscow.

The scholarship winners are chosen based on services, activities, interests, work experience, a personal statement, essay and a grade point average of 3.0 or above.

A dean’s list student at the University, Garvey is a political science, history and philosophy triple major and participates in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program. She has worked on various service projects and activities and volunteers at Saint Francis Soup Kitchen. She will study this year at the National University of Ireland in Galway.

Hadley also is a dean’s list student at the University and a history and political science double major. She has volunteered are various local charities and as a vacation bible school group leader at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. Hadley will study this year at the National University of Ireland in Galway.

In 1984, the Friendly Sons established a perpetual scholarship fund to finance academic study in Ireland by college students. Since its inception, the scholarship has been given in alternate years to a student from The University of Scranton and Marywood University. In 1994, the scholarship was renamed in honor of the late John H. Corcoran, D.M.D. Dr. Corcoran, who was the oldest past president and member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County, played a prominent role in advancing the goals of the society and in particular in encouraging young members to participate in the activities sponsored by the society. Dr. Corcoran passed away in 1997.

The recipients traditionally spend at least one semester at one of Ireland’s leading universities. Upon returning, the scholarship recipients discuss his or her study abroad experience with the executive committee of the Friendly Sons. Through this program, nearly 30 students have received in excess of $40,000 from the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County to promote better understanding and relationships between young men and women of the United States and residents of the country of Ireland.

Patrick Sheridan serves as the chair of the Dr. John H. Corcoran Scholarship Committee.  Other committee members  are Thomas P. Cummings, Sr., James Haggerty and William Pryle.