2025 Scholarship Winner…
Lisette Szeman - 2025 Scholarship winner
Last night the Vincent R. Gagliardi Foundation gave out its 4th scholarship at the Somerville High School awards presentation. Kelly Gagliardi presented the scholarship.
My name is Kelly Gagliardi, and I am Vincent’s mom. For those who might not know, Vincent tragically lost his life three years ago in a reckless car accident while he was a passenger. The pain of his loss has left us heartbroken, and our lives have been forever changed.
As parents, we envision bright futures for our children, not just in terms of academic success, but also in how they treat others with kindness and compassion. I always believed that Vincent had a kind spirit, but after his passing, I learned just how true that was through the heartfelt stories shared by friends, parents, and classmates. I heard countless accounts of how Vincent would sit with someone who was alone at lunch, support a friend during difficult times, offer a helping hand, and give the warmest hugs. These memories filled my heart with both sorrow and pride.
In Vincent's memory, we established the Vincent R. Gagliardi Foundation, dedicated to promoting awareness about teen driver safety and providing scholarships to deserving seniors at SHS. This year, we received an impressive array of essays, and after careful consideration, we are thrilled to announce that the recipient of the $5,000 scholarship is Lisette Szeman.
According to her guidance counselor, Lisette is an exceptional student, ranking near the top of her class, and is a truly remarkable individual. She has participated in the SALA program and recently earned her associate degree in Liberal Arts from RVCC, making the Dean's List every semester while also engaging in various extracurricular activities. These include the Student Movement Against Cancer Club, the Peer to Peer Club, the Cross Country Team, serving as a CCD teacher at her church, attending the Princeton Young Women in STEM conference, and receiving the Rotary Youth Leadership Award. Lisette plans to further her education at Loyola University, where she intends to major in Elementary Education.
Reading Lisette's scholarship essay reminded me of the many stories I heard about Vincent's compassionate nature. In her role as a teaching assistant at a summer enrichment camp, Lisette described her experiences with diverse student personalities and the positive influence she had, no matter how small. Her patience and kindness inspired quiet, shy children to open up and find joy. Those students and future students are truly fortunate to have such a wonderful role model. I am immensely proud and honored to present this award in Vincent's name to Lisette.
Congratulations to Lisette and the class of 2025.