Via Catholic Philly
The Connelly Foundation has awarded its 2021 Neumann Scholars, 40 academically talented eighth-grade students from 30 Catholic schools in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, with four-year scholarships to attend any archdiocesan high school of their choosing.
This year 459 students competed for the scholarships, representing 112 parochial and regional elementary schools in five counties. Among the 40 scholarship recipients are five students from Bucks County, eight from Chester County, nine from Delaware County, 10 from Montgomery County and eight from Philadelphia.
The highest scoring student was Brendan Annulis at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School in Doylestown.
“The Connelly Foundation is proud to shine a light on the accomplishments and brilliance of the scholars across the Philadelphia Archdiocese, especially during this challenging time to be a student,” said Josephine C. Mandeville, chair of the Connelly Foundation Board. “Through the Neumann Scholars Program, we are able to reward their academic excellence and open the door to even greater achievement through a high-quality education at an archdiocesan high school.”
The scholarships are named for St. John Neumann, the fourth bishop of Philadelphia, who is credited with founding over 200 schools in the archdiocese. His successor, Archbishop Nelson Pérez, offered his congratulations to this year’s awardees.
“I was thrilled to learn that 40 eighth grade students from across the five-county archdiocese were named 2021 Neumann Scholars,” he said. “I am proud of each of these students for being a shining example of the very best that Catholic education has to offer. This outstanding achievement is a testament to their hard work as well as the dedication of their parents, pastors, teachers and administrators. All have played an important role in guiding them to success.”