2024 Mason FOREVER Foundation Award winners announced

Press Release

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

The scholarships are awarded on Aug. 16 every year and are made available to students who are enrolled in an accredited university/college in the U.S., and who are pursuing a degree in the medical, health or fitness fields. Students are awarded scholarships based on their course of study, grade-point average, commitment to the medical/health/fitness professions, sports involvement, and community service.

Lewiston-Porter High School graduates Matthew Long, a biology major at Niagara University, received $2,500; Gracie Auer, a biology major at SUNY Fredonia, received $2,500; Emma Steimer, a health science and kinesiology major at St. Bonaventure University, received $2,500; Elina Kunik, a radiation therapy major at Charleston Southern University, received $2,500; and local residents Samantha Ingham, a graduate of Williamsville North High School and a physician assistant major at R.I.T., received $1,000; and Camyrn Milosevski, a graduate of the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, and a physician assistant major at Gannon University, received $1,000.

Other awardees included Sofia Pilleux of Naperville, Illinois, a biology major at Arizona State University; Chloe Nason of Mims, Florida, a sports management major at University of Florida; Jersey Van Erem of Waterloo, Iowa, an exercise science and human performance major at Quincy University; and Rylee Schmuck of Mount Vernon, Indiana, a human biology major at Indiana University.

The Mason FOREVER Foundation supports the community and youth interested in medical, health, fitness and sports. Our major fundraising event is an annual 5K that is held in May/June. This year, we will have a meat raffle on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Lewiston No. 1 Firehall. Please visit the foundation website, masonforever.com, to donate, or to learn about scholarship opportunities and community events.