2023 Mason FOREVER Foundation scholarship winners announced

The Mason FOREVER Foundation has announced its scholarship winners for 2023:

•$4,000 for Lewiston resident Natalie Sharer, a graduate from Lewiston-Porter who will major in biomedical sciences and play lacrosse at Roberts Wesleyan College this fall. She played lacrosse and soccer throughout her high school years and was an active volunteer while in Key Club.

•$4,000 for Youngstown resident David Pavan, a graduate of Lewiston-Porter High School, who will major in business and sports management at St. Bonaventure University. He played soccer and baseball throughout his high school years, and participated in the Mighty Niagara Half Marathon and Hospice Dash for several years. Pavan was awarded the Mason FOREVER Foundation – Niagara Pioneer Scholarship.

•Other awardees included, Megan Heath of Waverly, a psychology major at SUNY Oneonta; Willow Burt of Borad Brook, Connecticut, a nursing major at University of Massachusetts Amherst; Courtney Grace Truth of Coventry, Rhode Island, a physician’s assistant major at Springfield College (Massachusetts); Laila Heiss of Alma, Michigan, a sports science major with the intent on becoming a sports medicine physician at Northern Michigan University; Amanda Raymond of Auburn, Maine, a speech-language pathology major at Elms College (Maine); and Diane Barazarte Vielma of Weston, Florida, a biology with the intent on becoming a dentist major at Nova Southeastern University (Florida).

The Mason FOREVER Foundation scholarships are presented in honor of Mason Sawyer Monteleone, who was a third-year interdisciplinary medical sciences major at Florida State University in Tallahassee when he tragically died in a car accident at the age of 21. Monteleone was interested in becoming a physician assistant or orthopedic surgeon. He graduated from Canisius High School in Buffalo and attended middle school at Lewiston-Porter.

Scholarships are awarded each Aug. 16 to students who are enrolled in an accredited university/college in the U.S. and are pursuing a degree in the medical, health or fitness/sports fields.

Presently, the Mason FOREVER Foundation (via GOT SNEAKERS) is collecting used or new sneakers and cleats. Its major fundraising event is an annual 5K in early June.

Visit www.masonforever.com to donate or to learn more.