The inaugural Wyoming Area Catholic (WAC) Class of 1980 Kindness Award was presented to current WAC students and siblings Emilia and Evan Jansoski in the memory of 1980 classmate Anthony Ristagno, who passed away in 1991. Shown in the photo are WAC Principal Eileen Rishcoff, far left, members of the WAC Class of 1980, members of the Ristagno family, Martha and Juliann Ristagno, and Emilia and Evan’s parents, Walt and Shannon Janoski.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Inaugural $500 award goes to siblings Emilia and Evan Janoski
Then Wyoming Area Catholic (WAC) classmates Michelle Ciampi and the late Anthony Ristagno pose for a photo at a WAC formal function. The WAC Class of 1980 set up a Kindess Award for a student of WAC. The first award is in the memory of Anthony Ristagno.
Submitted Photo
Wyoming Area Catholic (WAC) Principal Eileen Rishcoff congratulates WAC students Evan and Emilia Janoski, on receiving the first-ever $500 award from the WAC Class of 1980’s Kindness Award in the memory of Anthony Ristagno, WAC ‘80.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Wyoming Area Catholic Class of 1980 presented a first-ever Kindness Award in memory of classmate Anthony Ristagno. Left to right: Ristagno’s mother Martha, recipents Evan Janoski and Emilia Janoski, and Ristagno’s sister Juliann Ristagno.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
EXETER — Members of the Wyoming Area Catholic (WAC) Class of 1980 decided they not only wanted to give back to the school that gave them so much, but to aid students who exemplify kindness to others.
The inaugural $500 award went to siblings Emilia and Evan Janoski who will be entering sixth and fifth grade respectively this fall.
Karen DeNisco, a member of WAC 1980 class came back to the school to be present for the award ceremony.
“We decided we were going to do a scholarship starting out to help families defray tuition, but it turned into a kindness award,” DeNisco explained. “Five of us alumni that got together to decide to do this scholarship, so we tried to contact as many classmates as possible.”
DeNisco said two of the 28 graduates from 1980 passed away and the first scholarship award is in the name of the late Anthony Ristagno. The 2024 award will be in honor of the late Lisa Citola McGowan, who passed away during the pandemic.
Going forward after year two, the award will solely be named the Kindness Award presented by the WAC Class of 1980.
Classmate Andy Vitek said by creating this scholarship, he hopes other graduating classes from WAC will step forward and create other financial awards in the future.
Eileen Rishcoff, WAC principal, is elated the WAC Class of 1980 stepped forward to create such an award.
“For us to have that class reach out and contact us on their own and to continue to support Catholic education is incredible,” Rishcoff said. “And then to add that objective of being kind, which is so important in this school, it is my thing, I do say it every day in school, ‘Please be kind to everyone.’”
The two students embody the act of kindness and Rishcoff is happy for the first-ever choices for the $500 award.
“These two students deserve the award,” Rishcoff added. “Their kindness is evident every single day.”
As for Emilia and Evan, they couldn’t be happier for being chosen the first Kindness Award recipients.
Emilia, 11, would like to be an author one day and Evan, 10, wants to be an artist.
“We are excited,” Emilia said. “It will help with our tuition.”
