Three Delaware high school seniors recognized for their accomplishments; will share $20,000 in scholarships funded by Delaware-based philanthropic foundation, I Could Do Great Things
Press Release – Wilmington, Del. (May 24, 2018) – The I Could Do Great Things Foundation, founded in 2009 by Stuart M. Grant and Suzanne B. Grant, is pleased to announce the winners of the annual Beau Biden Memorial Scholarship. The 2018 Scholarship recipients are a trio of high school seniors from Delaware – Delaney Doran of Bear, Marigrace Ferrill of Newark and Nicole Kennedy of Newark.
Doran, a graduating senior of Mount Pleasant High School receives the Scholarship’s Gold Award of $10,000. Ferrill, a 2018 graduate of Padua Academy, and Kennedy, a 2018 graduate of Conrad Schools of Science, are co-recipients of the Silver Award, each receiving $5,000. This coming fall, Doran, Ferrill and Kennedy will all be attending the University of Delaware.
Named in honor of former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, who passed away in 2015 at age 46, the scholarship was established by the I Could Do Great Things Foundation, an independent Delaware-based philanthropy. The scholarship honors college-bound high school seniors from Delaware “who embody the virtues of Beau Biden, who exhibited qualities of leadership, community, civility, respect, and a strong moral compass.”
The Scholarship selection team, consisting of members of the Grant and Biden families, reviewed applications from close to 100 high school seniors before naming this year’s winners.
The selection committee commented that, “Delaney, Marigrace and Nicole have consistently demonstrated the highest standard of leadership, service and compassion in their school and local communities. Each recipient exemplifies Beau’s legacy of service and accomplishment and we expect that they will each go on to do great things.”
Delaney Doran, described by a teacher as “the definition of resilient and focused,” has managed personal adversity by seeking out ways to help others around her. “I appreciate how Beau pushed through his struggles and pursued a lifetime of service,” said Doran. She went on to say, “I recognize that you can’t let problems break you, rather you have to work through them and foster strength in times of adversity; Beau was the epitome of that.”
Marigrace Ferrill took on a role within the Blue Gold Club to help educate others and, based on her own personal story, bring a face to those with cognitive disabilities. Marigrace noted in her essay, “Society tends to ostracize those who are different, but story by story, conversation by conversation, we as a community can change that.”
Nicole Kennedy, who plans to study public policy at the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware, is guided by the principles of, “honesty, respect, responsibility, tolerance and compassion.” Kennedy wrote in her essay, “I have found that even though people may have different solutions to a problem, they are able to accomplish great things when they work together.”
More on the 2018 Beau Biden Memorial Gold and Silver Scholarship recipients:
Delaney Doran – Beau Biden Memorial Scholarship Gold Award
Delaney Doran, of Bear, Del., is a 2018 graduate of Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington. A National Honor Society member since her freshman year in high school, Delaney has served as a leader in school, on the field and in her community. Throughout her high school career, Delaney maintained a rigorous academic schedule, placing consistently in the top ten percent of her class. While maintaining a strong G.P.A., Delaney excelled athletically and obtained varsity letters in both cross-country and soccer. Equally as impressive, Delaney saw a need within her school to help improves the lives of those in her community and, while attending Berks Catholic High School, worked to establish the first high school chapter of Habit for Humanity within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Marigrace Ferrill – Beau Biden Memorial Scholarship Silver Award
Marigrace Ferrill, of Newark, Del., is a 2018 graduate of Padua Academy. Graduating with first honors, Marigrace was elected by her peers to serve on the board of the National Honor Society. She is a talented musician who volunteers her time working with children and the elderly. Marigrace has volunteered hundreds of hours toward community and school-based service initiatives during her high school career.
Nicole Kennedy – Beau Biden Memorial Scholarship Silver Award
Nicole Kennedy, of Newark, Del., is a 2018 graduate of Conrad Schools of Science. Nicole is ranked third in her class with an unweighted G.P.A. of 4.0. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has earned an AP Scholar Distinction. In addition to numerous hours spent volunteering within her community, Nicole currently serves as Chief of Staff for Conrad’s Youth in Government club, having previously held the positions of Clerk of the House, Speaker of the House and Youth Delegation leader.
Details about the Beau Biden Memorial Scholarship are available on the Foundation’s site at https://icoulddogreatthings.org/scholarships-prizes/.
