The Michael G. Santangelo Jr. Scholarship Fund
THANK YOU FROM THE BOARD OF
The Michael G. Santangelo Jr.
Scholarship Fund *
2025 THIRTEENTH Annual
Dinner, Silent Auction & Fundraiser
“Helping young people reach their highest potential,
one student at a time.”
*The MGS Jr. Scholarship Fund is a 501(c) (3) Corporation.
A Special Thank You
I would be remiss if I didn’t open this “Thank You” letter without expressing my deepest gratitude to all the donors and friends who have helped make this event continue to grow at a level no-one could have ever expected. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of Michael Jr., but I truly believe that he is
here with us, though our amazing students. The 2025 thirteenth annual Michael G. Santangelo, Jr. Scholarship Fundraiser was the most successful to date; not only in terms of fundraising and in an overflow of attendance, but also in terms of the emotion everyone experienced because of the speeches given by the students.
On December 3, 2025, at the Westchester Hills Golf Club, the evening began with playing of the Star-Spangled Banner (the Whitney Houston version).and the Pledge of Allegiance. This was followed with a statement in support of our military, given by airborne ranger and retired colonel from the United States Army, Mr. Vincent O’Connell We next heard from Ms. Mary Faddoul from Student Sponsor Partners (“SSP”). The Foundation presented her with a check for Thirty-Five Thousand ($35,000.00) Dollars for a scholarship to be awarded by SSP to a deserving student to be selected by SSP. The Foundation also was treated to a special and heart-warming speech from one of this year’s six graduates, Ms. Angelina Duarte, who recently graduated from Cathedral High School. Christian Reyes, a Senior attending St. Francis Preparatory School, also eloquently expressed his appreciation to all for the scholarship he received. Both students demonstrated complete poise during their speeches. The Foundation continues to support Ursuline High School and agreed to pay the outstanding tuition for Ms. Geraldine Waife, who now attends Cardinal Spellman High School.
Following the event, the Foundation sent a check to Cardinal Spellman High School, in the amount of $7,500.00, to assist Geraldine in pursuing her academic dream. My sister and the Foundation’s Treasurer, Mrs. Georgia Derrico then presented a check for $7,500.00 to the Hill School located in Middleburg, Virginia, to be awarded to a student to attend a private High School. This will be the third
Student from the Hill School we will support in her educational pursuits.
Next, those in attendance were treated to our newest scholarship beneficiary, Tunnel to Towers. The Foundation is extremely excited to be able to play even a small part in this incredible organization’s mission to take care of our First Responders and our brave Police. Born from the tragedy of 9/11, with over 20 years of operation, “T to T” supports first responders, veterans, and their families, and the Foundation provided three scholarships for $10,000 each to the children of these heroes. It was a delight meeting two of the three students who received a scholarship from the Foundation. The stories of these heroes and their sacrifice they made for our Country kept everyone completely
enthralled.
The Foundation is extremely proud of the twenty-two (22) “Santangelo Scholars” who have graduated from a private high school on a scholarship awarded by the Foundation. The Foundation presently has thirteen (13) students who are currently attending private high school on a scholarship, or a total of thirty-five (35) students that your contributions have assisted in affording them a quality education. I am extremely proud to announce that the Foundation has awarded Six- Hundred Sixty Thousand ($660,000.00) Dollars in scholarships since its inception in 2013. This year alone, the Foundation raised $149,455 in donations, an extraordinary amount that speaks to the momentum that the Foundation has gathered each year. We were then treated to speeches from two of our esteemed
high-school graduates, Ms. Andrea Milton (entrepreneur) and Mr. Tyler Roche (a graduate of Georgia State University). Each of our graduates gave an inspiring speech and conveyed to the audience how much he or she had grown over their four years of private high school. To attempt to convey how
heartfelt these speeches were would do them an injustice; I invite each of you to view their unique and inspiring speeches on our website. We are so proud of all the “Santangelo Scholars” and consider each of them to be a part of our family.
The event concluded, as usual, with a most inspiring speech from the Honorable Lewis Lubell. Justice Lubell continues to outdo himself each year. As of today, the Foundation has assets in excess of $1.6
million dollars on hand, which consists of $680,000 in stock, $250,000 in cash, $600,000 in real property, and no debt. The event once again succeeded in demonstrating the profound effect that your donation has in helping each student to reach for the stars. I am so humbled by the accomplishments of the Michael G. Santangelo Jr Scholarship Fund. I am sure Michael is looking down on all of us and
smiling. Incredibly, next year will be the thirteenth year of the Event.
Finally, we invite you to visit our website located at michaeljrfund.org, where you can see photographs as well as speeches from the 2025 event.
Forever grateful,
Michael G. Santangelo
PRESIDENT
2025 GOAL: $100,000.00
RAISED TO DATE: $149,455
The Michael G. Santangelo Jr. Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) Organization.