Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce awards 2021 scholarships

PITTSTON — The Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) and the chamber’s Women’s Network awarded four scholarships to women graduating from Pittston Area and Wyoming Area on June 10 and June 11, respectively.

The GPCC awarded a scholarship to Pittston Area’s Jordan Ralston and Wyoming Area’s Jenna Rae Moore and Women’s Network awarded a scholarship to Pittston Area’s Elizabeth Burney and Wyoming Area’s Emma Kelleher. Each student will receive a one-time check for $500.

GCPP’s Executive Vice President Michelle Mikitish handed out the awards to each student last week.

“We’re excited to be able to do this,” Mikitish said, on handing out the scholarships. “As most people know, we are working much harder on a focus on workforce development which means we are making an investment in our future.”

Mikitish said one way to invest in the future is to invest in some of our graduates.

Stipulations on awarding the scholarship range from community service, providing a positive image of living in Greater Pittston as well as making their communities better.

“We like to see kids involved in organizations like Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), for example,” Mikitish said. “Having solid grades are a part of the formula, but not the biggest part of it. We look for someone who is an overall great person that contributes to their community, their church, their fire departments and other civic organizations.”

Each student had to submit an essay in order to qualify for scholarship consideration.

Emma Kelleher, of Harding, wrote her essay on service work to earn the GCPP Women’s Network scholarship.

“I help out a lot at Blue Chip (animal rescue), I do a lot of school events as well,” Kelleher said. “I’m in student council and an officer on the executive board.”

She will continue her studies at Susquehanna University to major in biology on the pre-med track. Kelleher said she was very excited and grateful for the award.

Pittston Area’s Elizabeth Burney is also a 2021 GPCC Women’s Network scholarship award recipient.

Burney, of Pittston, admitted she applied for 45 scholarships and is happy to receive the Women’s Network scholarship.

“I wrote my essay on the National Honor Society and helping at the YMCA and coaching at Stan Waleski basketball league,” Burney said. “I was very excited and proud of myself that I wrote a good enough essay.”

Burney will attend Misericordia University in the fall, majoring in speech language pathology.

Pittston Area senior Jordan Ralston, who is a student aide at Allied Services, received the GPCC scholarship.

“I wrote about how I help in the community,” Ralston said. “I also mentioned how I am kind to everyone and how I try to help everyone to improve the community.”

Ralston, of Duryea, will be attending Bloomsburg University to study education.

“I was very excited (about receiving the award) but I was nervous about writing my essay,” Ralston said. “I didn’t know if it was going to be good enough, but I guess it was.”

Jenna Rae Moore was the Wyoming Area recipient of the GPCC scholarship. The Wyoming resident said she found an interest in the Chamber of Commerce through writing her essay.

“I worked at Blue Ribbon for a few years and it was interesting working for a local business,” Moore said. “I had a chance to see what went into owning a local business.”

Moore was involved in FBLA since freshman year, becoming president in her junior year. She went to states in her freshman year presenting in communications and marketing.

Moore will attend James Madison in the fall, majoring in social work.

“I’m so honored, it’s really exciting to receive the award,” Moore said.