Watertown - In recent weeks, four families and a prominent local doctor have made substantial gifts to Immaculate Heart Central (IHC) Schools to expand financial aid and scholarship opportunities for students at all grade levels – K through 12. These programs provide aid to new and existing IHC students with financial need, as well as college scholarships for graduating seniors.

IHC has received gift commitments of over $108,000 in to establish five separate financial aid, high school scholarship and college scholarship programs. These gifts will fund at least ten full-tuition scholarships for needy students new to IHC, provide aid to current students with financial need, and establish several college scholarships for graduating IHC seniors.The gifts are particularly timely for families hard-hit by the sluggish economic recovery, and are notable in that many non-profit and philanthropic organizations have experienced a downturn in donations. The gifts also coincide with a concerted effort by a new IHC administrative team to find new ways to maintain the high-quality of its educational programs while keeping tuition affordable.

The most prominent of these programs is the IHC “100 Stars” Scholarship Fund, created to provide students of all faiths who have never previously studied at IHC the opportunity to do so based on their scholastic potential and demonstrated financial need. IHC is accepting applications for this scholarship now, and will award “100 Stars” scholarships this summer for enrollment in the coming school year. The IHC “100 Stars” Scholarship Fund was established with a sizable gift from a prominent local doctor, Dr. Noaman Sanni, who is funding ten full-tuition scholarships to new IHC students each year, for the next three years.

Dr. Sanni, who is not an alumnus of IHC, also challenged the local business community and individuals to contribute funds for as many as ninety additional scholarships for both new and current students. After their first year of study, awardees of “100 Stars” scholarships will be eligible to apply for partial or full financial aid should they wish to continue their studies at IHC.Dr. Sanni’s gift is motivated by the desire to provide and enrich educational alternatives to a broader range of students in the local  community. Research has shown student achievement improves when more educational alternatives and choices are available.

In addition to scholarships for new IHC students, donors have enabled IHC to establish programs to help current students. IHC alumni Ted and Mary Mascott recently expanded their annual gift, which will provide thousands in financial aid to IHC Junior/Senior High School students next year.

In April, the Zapf family established the Walter J. Zapf, Jr. Class of 1951 Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Mr. Zapf and his widow, Janet Zapf, are both alumni of Immaculate Heart Academy (IHA), now IHC Junior/Senior High School.Mrs. Zapf, her children and grandchildren will provide an annual scholarship to a high school student whose actions have, over the past year, epitomized the Christian values of selfless service. The scholarship memorializes Mr. Zapf’s legacy of service in the Air Force, and as a business owner, faithful employee, communicant at St. Anthony’s Church in Watertown, and member of the American Legion. Mr. Zapf died in December.

Also in April, the Wiley family established the Margaret E. Wiley Memorial Health Sciences Scholarship, which will provide an annual college scholarship to a graduating senior who will study in the health sciences field. The scholarship memorializes Margaret Wiley’s many years as a nurse in the neo-natal ward at Watertown’s Mercy Hospital. Ms. Wiley passed away this past October.

Finally, this past week, the DeLosh family established the Mary DeLosh-Smith Memorial Scholarship, to be awarded annually to a graduating senior attending college to study in the field of language arts. At least five members of the DeLosh family, including Ms. DeLosh-Smith, are alumni of IHC or IHA.

The selection process for award of the Zapf, Wiley, and DeLosh-Smith Memorial scholarships has already begun. The first awardees will receive their scholarships next month.