CURRENT SCHOLARSHIPS

 

Albert Thatcher Hanby Masonic Scholarship

Albert Thatcher Hanby (1881-1947) was born on the family farm in Brandywine Hundred that his 2nd Great Grandfather had purchased in 1727.

His father Samuel Winfield Hanby (1817-1892) served as a State Representative in 1874. His mother Mary Cherry (1844-1923) was Samuel’s second wife and was born in Ireland. Albert was educated in the local one room school known as the Hanby School, which was built at the corner of Marsh and Naamans Road on land given by his Grandfather John Hanby in 1810. After that he attended West Chester State Normal School (now West Chester University) graduating in 1906. The highlight of his time at West Chester was getting to lead his class as President to a visit to the White House in the spring of 1906 where they got to meet President Theodore Roosevelt. After West Chester, Albert went on to Penn Law School graduating in 1909 and taking up the practice of law in Philadelphia. At his death in 1947 not only was Albert a prominent Attorney but he was also one of the most prominent Masons in the United States. In his will he established the Albert Thatcher Hanby Trust with the express purpose of helping all the poor, and needy children of Delaware. The Trust is proud to endow these three scholarships in memory of Albert Thatcher Hanby.

 

There will be an award of at least three $1,000 scholarships annual from this fund. The first criterion for this scholarship is that the student has some connection to the Masonic Fraternity. Applicants should provide the name of their father, grandfather etc., and what lodge he is/was a member of. Should no applicants apply with the required Masonic relationship then the annual awards shall be given under the same requirements as the general scholarships.   

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John A. Skrobot, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

The Skrobot family established the John A. Skrobot, Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund in 2018 in memory of the late John A. Skrobot, Jr. Mr. Skrobot was an avid supporter of public education and the Brandywine School District. He was a co-founder of the Brandywine Education Foundation and served as its Treasurer.  Mr. Skrobot served proudly as a member of the Brandywine School District Board of Education for 8 years and as its President for 6 years. He was also the Director of Special Affairs for the Delaware School Boards Association. He cared passionately about education in Delaware and worked tirelessly to ensure that our schools were safe, secure and well- maintained facilities where students could learn and be successful. At the time of his death he was hoping to see his dream of a new Early Childhood Education Center in the Brandywine School District become a reality. His family chose to honor him and his legacy through an endowed Scholarship Fund so that his impact on education would remain for years to come.

 

A John A. Skrobot, Jr. Memorial Scholarship is awarded each year to a graduating Senior from one of our three High Schools each year beginning in 2019. The criteria for this scholarship is that it be awarded to a student whose life has been touched by cancer; whether it be themselves, a family member, or a friend. Mr. Skrobot fought a valiant 5 year battle with Ewing Sarcoma. In addition, he lost his beloved grandfather, father and aunt to cancer as well.

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Oriental Lodge No. 27 AF & AM Scholarship

Oriental Lodge No. 27 received its charter on June 27, 1872 from the Grand Lodge of Delaware. On June 30, 2020 after 148 years Oriental Lodge will surrender its charter. To ensure the memory of the long history of the lodge is preserved for future generations they have decided to endow three scholarships by donating $75,000 to the Brandywine Education Foundation. This generous donation will allow for the funding of three $1,000 scholarships annually.

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There will be an award of at least three $1,000 scholarships annual from this fund. The first criterion for this scholarship is that the student has some connection to the Masonic Fraternity. Applicants should provide the name of their father, grandfather etc., and what lodge he is/was a member of. Should no applicants apply with the required Masonic relationship then the annual awards shall be given under the same requirements as the general scholarships.   

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Susan C. Houser Education Scholarship Fund

The Houser family established the Susan C. Houser Education Scholarship Fund in 2020 in memory of Sue Houser who passed in November 2019.  Sue graduated from Brandywine High School in 1971, taught in the Brandywine School District for 25 years and has three daughters, all of whom received their education in the Brandywine School District.  She was a huge supporter of the public school system and was a steadfast believer in the power of education in the life of a child and that the direction they are provided by thoughtful and caring teachers is invaluable.  Sue strongly believed that every child has the ability to succeed in their own way and she advocated for those students who may have had a more difficult path, whether at home or at school. Her passion for teaching, and her desire to educate students in both traditional schooling and life skills, made Sue a unique, captivating and memorable teacher.  Sue’s family chose to honor her and her legacy through an endowed scholarship fund to enable her to continue to impact the education and, ultimately, the lives of those students who may face obstacles in continuing on to higher education.  

 

Sue received a heart transplant on May 29, 2019, and in honor of her and that date on which she received the gift of life from her donor, her family would like to give the gift of education to a future teacher. To commemorate this date, annually on May 29th, a Susan C. Houser Education Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior from one of Brandywine School District’s three high schools.  The criteria for this scholarship require that it be awarded to a student pursuing a degree in education. Should no applicants apply that meet the criteria then the annual award shall be given under the same requirements as the general scholarships. Sue impacted the lives of thousands of students throughout her career and she was humbled by the fact that she was able to shape the future of so many.  Her family would like to continue her legacy with this scholarship by empowering those individuals with the gift to teach, so that they may educate and help guide our future youth to be their best selves and make a positive impact on the community.

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Anthony D Baronio Music Scholarship

The Anthony D. Baronio Music Scholarship has been established during the Spring.  There will be three music scholarships offered each spring, one for each of our three high schools in the Brandywine School District.  Each scholarship will be in the amount of $500 and be awarded to a graduating high school senior who will be majoring in music in college.

Anthony D. Baronio, father of Robert J. Baronio (Director of Bands at Springer Middle School), was a lifelong advocate for music education.  A 1943 graduate of Hazleton High School, he then earned a music degree from the Sherwood Music Conservatory in Chicago, Illinois.  While Anthony was a student at Sherwood, he studied Piano with virtuoso concert soloist Leo Podolsky.

Anthony Baronio was the church organist at Our Lady of Grace in Hazleton, Pennsylvania for just over 55 years.  In addition, Mr. Baronio taught private piano and organ lessons to thousands of students.  He was active as a freelance musician.  This included composing and arranging music.  He holds the distinction of being the composer for Hazleton Area High School Alma Mater when they first opened their doors in 1992.

A strong advocate of education and the importance of music and the arts, he would take great pride in this scholarship(s) and the assistance for future students to further their studies.

These scholarships shall be awarded annually to students who are majoring in music. On the application, please indicate you are applying for this scholarship and that you are majoring in music. Because these scholarships are for less than a $1,000 students applying for them can apply for a general scholarship or other named scholarship that they might qualify for in addition to the music scholarships. 

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Thomas M. Marshall Drama Scholarship

Friends of Tom Marshall established the Thomas M. Marshall Drama Scholarship in recognition of the contributions made by Tom to the Concord High School Drama program.  Tom was the Stage Director over a period of 20 years and created 34 stage productions at Concord.  A former Vice President of the Concord Friends of Music, he was asked by the Music Department to handle the musical in 2002.  Having performed and directed many community theatre productions, he agreed.  So began a legacy of plays and musicals that has led many students to go on to college to study technical and performing arts. Tom has been a Board member of the Artists Theatre Association, Breck’s Mill Cronies, Wilmington Drama League and the Brandywiners Ltd.  He continues to direct and perform in the Wilmington area.  His daughters are BSD graduates and his four grandchildren attend schools in the district. This $1,000 scholarship will go to a graduating senior who has taken part in at least one drama production during their high school career whether it be on stage or behind the scenes. If applying for this scholarship, please indicate on a separate page the productions you took part in and your role either on stage or stage crew.