Riverwoods Durham resident donates $100K to scholarship program: Seacoast education news

Portsmouth Herald
·3 min read

DURHAM — On Tuesday, Aug. 2, 12 young people were awarded scholarships in RiverWoods Durham’s first-ever scholarship ceremony, for a total of $25,000.

The program was the idea of and completely funded by RiverWoods Durham resident Sharyn Zunz.

Retired from her position as Associate Professor Emerita from the Health and Human Service School at the University of New Hampshire, and with a family history that prized and supported higher education, Zunz’s background in non-profit management and child welfare gave her a unique perspective on the challenges many young people face when trying to further their education.

Some of the nine recipents of Senior Celebration Fund scholarships stand with Sandy Zunz, whose donation is funding the scholarship program for the next five years.
Some of the nine recipents of Senior Celebration Fund scholarships stand with Sandy Zunz, whose donation is funding the scholarship program for the next five years.

Zunz has funded two scholarship programs for RiverWoods Durham: the Senior Celebration Fund, for graduating high school seniors who have worked at RiverWoods Durham in high school, and the Zunz Family Education Fund, for any RiverWoods Durham employee looking to further their education.

The Senior Celebration Fund is a unique program, providing these high school graduates with $1,000 to $2,000 (depending on the duration of their employment) to be used in any way that’s needed covering the expenses of higher education.

“Sometimes it’s not just about tuition. There can be other factors, other expenses that make it challenging for someone to gain additional education or training,” said Zunz. “It could be the cost of gas for commuting, or specialized tools. It might be technology – my goal with the Senior Celebration Fund is to provide these young people with a cash scholarship they can use in whatever way is needed as they embark on the next step of their careers.”

A total of nine graduates received awards between from the Senior Celebration Fund:  Alex Closson, Nicolas Colarusso, Nicholas Goodman, Dylan Greenlaw, Amy Janscy, Hannah Knightly, Jami Nicols, Josh NIcols, Zach Proto.

Sharyn Zunz stands with the three Riverwoods employees who were awarded Zunz Family Education Fund scholarships.
Sharyn Zunz stands with the three Riverwoods employees who were awarded Zunz Family Education Fund scholarships.

The Zunz Family Education Fund scholarships were awarded to three RiverWoods Durham employees:

Jen Ouellette is attending York Community College in York, Maine. She is currently an LPN looking to get her RN degree through YCC and then her BSN online. Her eventual goal is to become an Nurse Practitioner.

EJ Murphy has been a Household Support Partner for two years. EJ just graduated from high school and will be attending College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the fall as a biology pre-med major with the intention of becoming a physician.

Lindsey Bland, currently working as an LPN, wants to become a Nurse Practitioner working in family health.

Riverwoods Durham's first scholarship awards ceremony was held Aug. 2.
Riverwoods Durham's first scholarship awards ceremony was held Aug. 2.

“This scholarship program is a wonderful fulfillment of the RiverWoods mission. We are thrilled that Sharyn has generously provided this opportunity for our employees and look forward to seeing their future unfold,” said Natalee D’Antoni, associate executive director of RiverWoods Durham.

“These scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis, and open to any staff member or student worker looking to grow in their careers – whether it’s through education or a trade school – Sharyn’s vision is that anyone with an interest in career growth should have the chance.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast education news