Pine Island Chamber awards three 2018 Black Dirt Scholarships

PINE ISLAND — The Pine Island Chamber of Commerce has awarded three Black Dirt Scholarships of $1,500 each to students who have demonstrated a commitment to and involvement in community volunteer service or community work experience:
Emma DavisDuring the annual senior awards night held at Warwick Valley High School, Emma Davis was awarded for Agricultural/Equestrian Studies.
In her application essay, Davis wrote: “Major successes in my high school career are no more important than being a mentor to younger students looking to join clubs or being part of the prom planning committee. This I learned from my horse... Small successes are just as important as the big ones.”
She will be entering Cornell University in a pre-veterinary track in September.
Claire BulkleyClaire Bulkley was awarded for Any Declared Major and will be studying nursing at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.
She believes that “success is continually growing, improving, and doing for others.. . I have set goals to help me achieve what St. Augustine wrote, to become what you are not. Volunteering in the community and abroad has made me realize the positive impact we all have on each other."
Alyssa SieczekAt S.S. Seward Institute’s awards program, Alyssa Sieczek was awarded for Culinary Arts/Hospitality Studies. She will be attending SUNY Adirondack.
“A person of integrity and professionalism,” she wrote, “is confident and accountable. They know their craft, they are confident in their skills, and they are accountable for their actions.”
The Black Dirt Scholarship is funded with a portion of the proceeds from the Black Dirt Feast. The feast was conceived of as a way to showcase some of the top chefs in the region and the farms who provide the produce that they use. The event’s objective is to bring the entire community together to celebrate the beauty and bounty of the Black Dirt Region.
For more information about the Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, visit pineislandny.com.