The Guilford Foundation Awards $81,300 In Scholarships To Guilford High School Seniors

GUILFORD, CT — The Guilford Foundation awarded 38 scholarships and awards totaling $81,300 to graduating seniors from Guilford High School, marking a $10,000 increase from 2025.

More than $120,000 in scholarship support was distributed by the foundation in 2026.

The scholarships, funded through donor-established component funds at the foundation, support students pursuing a variety of educational paths, including four-year colleges, community colleges, vocational schools and specialized programs of study.

The awards were presented during Guilford High School's annual Scholarship Night.

"It is a tremendous honor to celebrate these students and the people who make these scholarships possible," Executive Director Liza Janssen Petra said, according to a news release. "Many of our scholarship funds were created to honor loved ones, preserve family legacies, or reflect a donor's passion for a particular field of study. Scholarship Night brings those stories to life while recognizing students who embody those same values and aspirations."

The Guilford Foundation works with the GHS Counseling Department throughout the scholarship selection process to match students with awards based on academic interests, career goals, achievements, community involvement and individual circumstances. The foundation said its endowment model allows donor contributions to continue supporting students over time.

"Connecting our fund holders and scholarship families with these remarkable young people is incredibly rewarding," Petra said. "The evening is about much more than financial assistance. It is a celebration of achievement, community, and the lasting impact of philanthropy."

In addition to the GHS scholarships, the foundation awarded $2,700 through the Allison Varian Scholarship Fund for students attending The Sound School and distributed $36,850 through the Guilford A Better Chance Scholarship Program, which provides multi-year support to graduates pursuing college degrees.

Several additional foundation funds also provide specialized scholarship opportunities outside the traditional application process in areas including music, vocational training and other fields of interest.

Information on establishing or supporting a scholarship fund is available here.

The scholarship recipients are:

• Elisabeth Adams Fund Scholarship: Gabriel Grassi
• Elisabeth Adams Fund Scholarship: Teagan Connellan
• Ascend Bank Charitable Fund for Guilford: Parker Onacilla
• Ascend Bank Charitable Fund for Guilford: Kyra Amani
• Carl A. Balestracci, Jr. Humanitarian Scholarship: Nora Frost
• Carl A. Balestracci, Jr. Humanitarian Scholarship: Tao Pradith
• Karen & Terry Bergantino Educational Fund: Geni Hernandez
• Helen Bergstresser Award: Caleb Greider
• Al & Gene Bishop Fund for Vocational and Industrial Arts: Sophia Albe
• Richard Brooks Scholarship Fund: Olivia Venancio
• Stuart D. Burt Fund: Blake Meder
• Maureen Cyr Caruso Scholarship Fund: Erica Zhang
• Guilford Fund for Education: Lyra Monaco
• Guilford Youth Mentoring Scholarship Fund: Andrea Weissman
• Guilford Youth Mentoring Scholarship Fund: Maya Moleski
• Lorri Hahn Memorial Fund: Lorelai Huben
• Richard Hersh & Judith Meyers Scholarship Fund: Emma Vittorio
• Richard Hersh & Judith Meyers Scholarship Fund: Maria Clara Matos da Cruz
• Richard Hersh & Judith Meyers Scholarship Fund: Tayte DePetris
• B. Joan & Dennis F. Hickey Scholarship Fund: Emma Vittorio
• Jaffe Scholarship Fund: Johnson Dong (Second Year)
• Jaffe Scholarship Fund: Kylin McMahon (Third Year)
• Jaffe Scholarship Fund: Tamojah Tomlinson (First Year)
• Jaffe Scholarship Fund: Taylor Smith (Final Year)
• Elizabeth Leete Award: Emelia Votto
• Elizabeth Leete Award: Emma Vittorio
• Stephen A. Looney Scholarship Fund: Andrew Voytek
• Stephen A. Looney Scholarship Fund: Maya Kos-Graham
• Harvey Martin Music Scholarship Fund: Maya Kos-Graham
• Barbara Nugent Scholarships Fund: Camila Munroe
• Jake Penman Memorial Fund: Andrew Voytek
• Ralph Schipani Scholarship Fund: Alexander Tafro
• Ralph Schipani Scholarship Fund: Erica Zhang
• Elizabeth "Lizzie" Schwanfelder Fund: Paige Ponzio
• James P. Scialabba Scholarship Fund: Emily O'Sullivan
• Kyle E. Smith Scholarship Fund: Nora Frost
• Jesse E. Whittemore Jr. Scholarship Fund: Ethan Parker
• Jesse E. Whittemore Jr. Scholarship Fund: Tessa Antonakis