2025 Scholarship Awards

Bottom row (left to right): Charlotte Genesi, Elizabeth Keel, Klara Dziurdzinski, Liz Allen.
Top row: Marlene Ruiz, Dominik Dziurdzinski, Jake Harris

Akin Hall Association Awards $50,000 to Pawling High School Graduates

Celebrating 46 years of scholarship giving, the Trustees of the Akin Hall Association (AHA)
Scholarship Endowment Fund fulfilled their mission with a total of $50,000 in awards, by honoring the
following top ten percent academic achieving students in the recent Pawling High School 2025
graduating senior class.

The following six selected graduates were each presented individual scholarships for their
chosen higher academic institution and area of study: $8,000 to Dominik Dziurdzinski, Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, Engineering; $8,000 to Klara Dziurdzinski, University of Notre Dame, Biological
Studies on a premed tract; $8,000 to Charlotte Genesi, University of Vermont, Biology on a pre-
veterinary track; $8,000 to Jake Harris, University at Buffalo, Business/Finance; $5000 to Elizabeth Keel,
Northeastern University, Pharmacy; and $8,000 to Marlene Ruiz, Williams College, Political Science with
a concentration in International Relations.

The Association was formed over 100 years ago by Albert J. Akin, a Pawling benefactor, who
provided the Akin Free Library building and an endowment to promote and preserve the history,
culture, spiritual roots, and educational opportunities in the local area. The applications submitted were
evaluated on their academic achievements, school and community activities, leadership experience,
volunteer service, along with weighted ranking on their personal essays on community service. The
Committee selected six students to be interviewed. Their individual scholarship awards were based on
those interviews and financial need after considering their current financial aid and scholarship grants.

In addition, the following two students were honored with $2,500 Merit awards towards their
upcoming college expenses at their chosen institutions: Emily Mascia, University of Tennessee-
Knoxville, and Autumn Thompkins, Auburn University-Honors Program.

The Scholarship Committee members are Akin Hall Association President Liz Allen, Scholarship
Chair Betsy Brockway, Glenn Carey, Susan Daniels, Ed Lynn, Stan Scherer, Dorian Winslow and Karen
Zukowski.