Sheila Danahy, Maureen Moore and Kathy Doyle presented the recipients of the Slainte and IHSM Scholarships to the membership on June 30th, 2026.

Sheila stated, "I'D LIKE TO WELCOME AND CONGRATULATE ALL OF OUR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS. JOB WELL DONE!

It is my distinct honor to present the William & Sharon McNamara Memorial Scholarship to Helena Coury, a member of the Saint Bernard High School Class of 2026 in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Helena is the granddaughter of Karen Falcone, a valued and active member of the Irish Heritage Society of Milford.

Throughout her high school career, Helena has distinguished herself academically, athletically, and through community service. She is a member of the Spanish Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, and National Honor Society, and served on the Student Council for three years.

As a dedicated student-athlete, Helena competed in cross country, indoor track, and softball. Her accomplishments include earning All-Academic, All-State, All-Conference, and Most Valuable Player honors.

Among her many achievements, Helena is especially proud of her volunteer work with the Hispanic Alliance of New London, where she helped organize clothing and toy drives to support families in need.

This fall, Helena will attend Providence College, where she plans to major in Nursing while continuing her athletic pursuits.

Please join me in congratulating Helena on her outstanding accomplishments. We wish her every success as she begins this exciting new chapter in her life.

This year’s recipient of the Jennifer Hussey Memorial Scholarship is Sean Fitzgerald, a member of the Foran High School Class of 2026.

Sean is the son of IHSM members Kevin and Pamela Fitzgerald.

An honor student, Sean has been an active participant in Foran High School’s Marching and Concert Bands, where he plays percussion. During his time with the band, Sean has performed at notable venues including the Jefferson Memorial, the USS Intrepid, and Boston Common. In 2025, the Foran Band earned First Place honors in the Connecticut Big E Music Competition.

In addition to his academic and musical accomplishments, Sean has spent the past several years working as a marketing intern, where he has gained valuable professional experience writing social media content and assisting in the preparation of marketing reports and sales presentations.

Sean recently had the opportunity to travel to Ireland with his family, where he met many relatives for the first time. He described the experience as “life-changing” and deeply meaningful in strengthening his connection to his Irish heritage.

A talented young filmmaker and screenwriter, Sean plans to continue pursuing his creative passions at the University of Connecticut this fall, where he will study film production, screenwriting, and animation.

Please join me in congratulating Sean on his many accomplishments and wishing him continued success in all his future endeavors.

Kathy presented the next three Scholarships. 

Martin Hardiman Memorial Scholarship - Jonathan Law High School, 2026 recipient is Christopher Serrano.

At Law he was awarded the President's Award for Academic Excellence, and several Halo high school theater awards. Christopher served as President of the drama club, and was active in Milford's Pantochino Productions, as well as his high school concert choir and advanced vocal ensemble.

Christopher will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall, majoring in Music Education.

Lyle James Memorial Scholarship - Foran High School, 2026 recipient is Shea Pangu.

At Foran Shea served as class treasurer, liaison to the Board of Education, and girls lacrosse team captain. She was a member of three honor societies, and was the recipient of the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Award and the Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony from the University of Rochester.

In the fall Shea will attend the University of Georgia majoring in Political Science.

Charles Bristol Memorial Scholarship - Jonathan Law High School, 2026 recipient is Kayla Markowitz.

Throughout high school Kayla served as President of Key Club, Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, Captain of both the Girls Swim and Dive Team and the Girls Tennis Team. She was co-founder of a fundraiser supporting Make A Wish Connecticut. Outside of school, she worked as both a lifeguard and swim instructor.

In the fall Kayla will attend Tufts University to pursue a degree in Political Science.

Slainte/IHSM John & Margaret Fagan Casey Scholarship - Platt Technical High School, 2026 recipient is Paul Corsini.

At Platt Tech Paul was a student in the Carpentry Trade program. Platt Tech's Scholarship team selected Paul for this scholarship because he meets all the specified criteria. He is empathetic and has strong a work ethic, and they believe Paul will be successful in all of his future endeavors.

In the fall Paul will attend the University of New Haven with a science major, with the intent to continue on to medical school.

Maureen presented the final Scholarship.

Maureen Coyne Richetelli Memorial Scholarship - Lauralton Hall, Awarded to Addison Harry

At Lauralton Addison was salutatorian of her class,and was named a Summa Scholar by the Archdiocese of Hartford. She served as co-president of the National Honor Society, and was a member of Spanish Club, Key Club, and Polish Club. She is also a competitive dancer, and 3-time recipient of the Presidential Gold Award, and received the Francis Warde Service Award,for her commitment to addressing food insecurity in the community. 

Addison will attend Fairfield University to pursue an accounting degree.

Slainte is selling its exclusive Slainte Bourbon Bottle!