On Friday, February 7th, Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF) Scholars from Fontbonne were honored at a breakfast hosted by Cardinal Séan O’Malley, John Farina of PwC and CSF. The Celebration of Excellence was held in the Atrium of PwC’s Boston office in the Seaport. Fontbonne is one of 27 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Boston supported by CSF. Many supporters of CSF attended the breakfast to honor the scholars and celebrate their success.
The senior CSF Scholars were recognized for their accomplishments and hard work over the last four years. John Farina addressed the current seniors, encouraging them to keep pursuing their passions and educational efforts in college and beyond. Taban Manyok, CSF Scholar senior and star athlete from Saint Mary’s High School in Lynn, addressed the crowd to share his story, including his experiences as a Sudanese refugee, and thanked the donors who made his scholarship possible.
“This morning, I get the rare opportunity to thank you. Thank you to everyone who gave me a chance and helped me succeed. No words can describe how lucky and fortunate I am. I will always be grateful,” said Taban. “My state championship is your state championship. My life after St. Mary’s, when I find another next gear to excel to even greater things, will be your life. Without any of you, none of this would have been possible.”
Cardinal O’Malley addressed all of the scholars and CSF supporters with encouragement about the great work of the schools in the Archdiocese of Boston. Students had their photos taken with John Farina of PwC, Mike Reardon, Executive Director of CSF, Bill Mosakowski, Clerk of CSF’s Board of Trustees, Mike Rogers, President of CSF’s Board of Trustees and former COO of State Street.
CSF Scholars have a 100% graduation rate and 98% college acceptance rate. The Inner-City Scholarship Fund is the signature program of the Catholic Schools Foundation. Last year, the Inner-City Scholarship Fund distributed over 4,000 scholarships to students, totaling more than $9 million dollars in tuition support.
