Greenwich Residents Donate $500,000 to Foundations in Education
January 20, 2018 | Foundations in Education | Media Mentions
Mary Alice and Thomas O’Malley, longtime Greenwich residents, have committed $500,000 to Foundations in Education over the next five years to establish The Mary Alice and Thomas O’Malley Scholarship for children of current police officers, firefighters and nurses, attending Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford. The O’Malley gift is the first of its kind for Foundations in Education.
Students and prospective students who have at least one parent who has worked for a minimum of one year as a Greenwich or Stamford firefighter or police officer, or as a nurse at either Greenwich or Stamford Hospital, are eligible to apply. The grant, which covers 80% of tuition beginning with the 2018/19 academic year, is contingent upon students maintaining a strong academic performance. Tuition assistance is based on available funding each year.
In reference to this generous contribution, Mary Alice O’Malley stated, “We are pleased to support Trinity Catholic High School. Both Tom’s and my families have served their communities in nursing and as members of police and fire departments in the Northeast.”
The scholarship application process and management will be administered by Foundations in Education, a non-profit initiative created to assist the Diocese of Bridgeport’s ongoing mission to support Catholic education in Fairfield County.
“I am grateful for the O’Malley’s commitment to the students of Trinity Catholic High School and the Greenwich/Stamford area,” remarked The Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, the Acting Chair of Foundations in Education. “The O’Malley Scholarship Program will serve a group of students for whom I trust the experience will be transformational.”
Foundations in Education has begun promoting this scholarship through Greenwich and Stamford fire and police departments and to the nurses at Greenwich and Stamford Hospitals.
Trinity Catholic High School has begun spreading the word of The Mary Alice and Thomas O’Malley Scholarship to both current and prospective students. The school will continue to publicize the scholarship at their upcoming “Take A Look” Tuesday tours scheduled for January 30th and at their Open House on March 18th. The high school is currently accepting applications for the 2018-2019 year.
Trinity Catholic High School Principal Dave Williams commented, “This gift comes in time for our national observation of Catholic Schools Week, when we join communities across the country in celebrating the value of Catholic education. Service to others is one of the core principles of our school’s mission. We are so thankful to the O’Malley Family for this opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the community.”
Both Mary Alice and Tom have served on many philanthropic boards. Mary Alice graduated from St. Vincent’s Nursing School in New York City as a registered nurse and Tom is a graduate of Manhattan College. They are members of St. Catherine’s Parish in Riverside, Connecticut.
The mission of Foundations in Education is to strengthen and transform Catholic education in the Diocese of Bridgeport by supporting innovation in academic and extra-curriculum programs, fostering opportunities for the professional development of school leaders in innovation and leadership and providing scholarship assistance to families in need. Evolving from the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund, which was established by Bishop Caggiano in 2015, more than $6,933,000 in aid has been awarded to 4,130 students in Diocesan-sponsored Catholic schools since its inception.