The Trenton Irish Heritage Association has awarded three $2,500 scholarships to Mercer County high school seniors of Irish descent.
Hamilton High West senior Melanie Meara won the Michael “Jimmy” Wash scholarship, Steinert High School senior Riley Smith won the Helena P’Simer Scholarship, and Robbinsville High School senior Kaeleigh Sturgeon won the Desmond Murphy Scholarship.
Each scholarship was named in honor of a deceased member of the association.
A committee, headed by member Ted Clark, selected five judges from out of the area and presented them with 16 entrants. The names, high schools and other personal information was redacted so that no clue to their identity could be found. The judges, after much deliberation, were able to choose the three winners.
“Since the cost of putting on a parade in the city has risen so greatly in the past two years we have decided that this is a better use of our funds,” chairman Dennis Keenan said, adding that the association hopes this is a start of a new trend to assist children of Irish heritage in furthering their education.
Scholarship winners Riley Smith, Kaeleigh Sturgeon, and Melanie Meara with association chair Dennis Keenan.,
