Chaminade freshman found her right path thanks to Augustine Educational Foundation scholarship
Chaminade freshman Brittney Ganzelli speaks at the Augustine Educational Foundation donor reception. (HCH photo | Anna Weaver)
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Brittney Ganzelli was struggling. It was 2014 and the freshman had just come home with a report card of mostly D’s and F’s. Her father was furious.
Brittney’s hanai aunt felt the public school system wasn’t working for Brittney, and got her an admissions interview at St. Francis School in the hopes that the private Catholic education could get her back on track.
One problem? There was no way Brittney’s single dad, who was supporting her on social security income and child support, could afford to send her there. Brittney was upfront about her family’s financial situation with the St. Francis’ admissions counselor when the two met.
Enter the PWH Educational Foundation, which made Brittney a PWH Scholar. The program, which stands for Perseverance, Wisdom and Hope, offers renewable, full tuition scholarships to students coming from public schools to four Hawaii Catholic high schools: Damien Memorial School, Saint Francis School, Sacred Hearts Academy, and St. Joseph High School, Hilo.
The 68 students currently in the program regularly meet with a PWH counselor at their school, and receive additional enrichment and support, including an annual retreat.
After becoming a PWH Scholar, Brittney’s path wasn’t entirely smooth, according to Sue Ferandin, executive director of the Augustine Educational Foundation, which runs the PWH Scholars program.
The high schooler had her teen struggles, but Ferandin, her PWH school counselor, and other supporters were there to help.
“There was faith that she needed us,” Ferandin said as she introduced Ganzelli to AEF donors at the foundation’s annual donor reception on Sept. 13 at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. And Brittney did better as high school went along.
“I went from a failing student with a bleak outlook on my future and no plans of attending college to a straight A student,” she said in her speech at the reception.
She was recognized in her junior year with a chemistry class award and received several college scholarships her senior year. But still college tuition was going to be a struggle. That’s where the Augustine Educational Foundation stepped in again, helping Brittney get need-based financial aid to cover the rest of her tuition at Chaminade University of Honolulu, where she started her freshman year this fall.
“These complete strangers took a chance and believed in me and my future even when I didn’t believe in myself,” Brittney said of AEF and PWH donors.
“Imagine being able to look around a room full of strangers and feel the tremendous amount of faith they have in you in their heart,” she said with emotion in her voice to those gathered in the Halekulani’s oceanfront Hau Room. “This faith is not seen but it’s felt in every mind and heart that you’re investing your faith and hope in.
AEF executive director Sue Ferandin poses with some of the foundation’s PWH scholars. From left, Damien Memorial School 10th grader Melody Hartman, PWH grad Brittney Ganzelli, and Saint Francis School 11th graders Faaope Laloulu and Haleigh Macugay. (HCH photo | Anna Weaver)
“Its impact is immeasurable, and I am a product of your faith.”
Bishop Larry Silva, chairman of the Augustine Educational Foundation, said the PWH scholarship program discovers and rescues a student’s true potential.
“This program really strives to reach out into our community and to give youth who might not ever have the opportunity otherwise to have a brighter path with the help of their counselors and their school leaders,” he said.
Bishop Silva and Msgr. Gary Secor, the Diocese of Honolulu’s vicar general and the AEF’s president, both spoke at the annual donor reception, highlighting contributors to the foundation.
The Augustine Education Foundation will give out $1.4 million in scholarships to Hawaii Catholic schools this year, and has awarded $12 million since it began in 1984.
Its donor reception allows contributors to mingle with the students they help and the school leaders and staff who work with them.
At this year’s reception, PWH scholars were selling mosaic crosses they made in order to collect donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Donors also took home koa crosses made by Sue Ferandin’s husband, John Ferandin.
Bishop Silva carried the crosses with him on a recent Kalaupapa pilgrimage and had them blessed at the peninsula’s Catholic churches and the graves of Sts. Marianne and Damien.
Perseverance, Wisdom, Hope
A snapshot of PWH Scholars
Melody Hartman
10th grade, Damien Memorial School
“It basically brought me to a better place to stay more focused on academics and finding myself as a student and as a person.
“I like when we all come together as scholars because I think that we get to see us all prosper and grow every time we meet.”
Faaope Laloulu
11th grade, St. Francis School
“Being able to help and give back just with little things … like the mosaic crosses for Make-A-Wish.” “Last year we did blessing bowls.
“I want to play football at a mainland college.”
Haleigh Macugay
11th grade, St. Francis School
“This program helped me so much financial. [St. Francis] is college and career ready. I knew it’d be better for my future and my family, specifically my mom. Because for most of my life she was a single mom.
“ASL [American Sign Language] is my favorite subject in school.”
