EAST GREENWICH, R.I.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Corvias
Foundation, a private charitable foundation, today announced that in
addition to awarding more than $500,000 in scholarship funds to military
family members, it has awarded $60,000 in scholarships to two children
of Corvias employees: Sarah DaSilva of Smithfield, Rhode Island, and
Aubrey Smith of White City, Kansas. Both recipients are committed to
giving back to their local communities.
John Picerne, the founder of Corvias Foundation, as well as the owner
and founder of Corvias, established this employee scholarship program to
support the educational aspirations of children of Corvias employees.
Corvias Foundation has awarded 18 higher education scholarships to
Corvias employee families since 2006, totaling over $660,000 to-date,
making a difference in employees’ lives well beyond the office.
Sarah DaSilva and Aubrey Smith will be part of the 2019-20 class of
Corvias Foundation scholarship recipients. Sarah is the daughter of
Nelson DaSilva, who works at East Greenwich-based Corvias. Aubrey is the
daughter of Grayson Smith, an employee at Fort Riley, a Corvias-managed
military base. This fall, Sarah will attend the University of Rhode
Island (URI), while Aubrey will attend Fort Hays University.
“We are privileged to support the educational dreams of these two
deserving and outstanding high school students,” said John Picerne,
Foundation Founder. “Providing educational opportunities to the children
of the people I work with every day is an honor. Both the company and
the Foundation are committed to giving back in ways that have long-term
impacts, which is why we find it so important to provide these college
scholarships.”
The primary focus of Corvias Foundation is to provide financial and
beyond-the-dollar support to military family members. Since 2006,
Corvias Foundation has awarded 428 scholarships, or nearly $9 million,
to military children and spouses across 13 Army and Air Force
installations and to the children of employees. To provide additional
support for Corvias employees and their families, Corvias Foundation
established a separate employee scholarship program in 2008 and has
since been awarding deserving children of Corvias employees with college
scholarships.
“I was at a complete loss of words,” said recipient Sarah DaSilva when
explaining her reaction to finding out she had been chosen for the
scholarship. “Realizing how much this award would help my family and I
pay for college, I am extremely grateful and honored.”
The scholarships provide reliable, recurring financial assistance over
each student’s four years of study. Students receive scholarships in the
amount of up to $12,500 per year for four years to pursue a higher
education at colleges and universities around the country.
Sarah’s father, Corvias IT Infrastructure Manager, Nelson DaSilva, said
his daughter has “held herself to a higher standard” since she was eight
years old. He appreciates the Foundation “recognizing her tremendous
potential and for validating all her hard work.” He went on to say,
“This gift is going to give her a wonderful head start in life. This
award will provide a relief from financial stress. It’s an opportunity
for her to focus on her studies rather than be distracted by financial
aid forms.”
Financial stress is among the top worries of today’s college students,
according to Maria Montalvo, Corvias Foundation’s executive director.
The scholarship amounts are intended to be impactful to each student. In
addition to financial support, the recipients each receive academic and
career services should they need it.
“Our idea of support does not stop at the award amount,” said Montalvo.
“We provide our recipients with tools such as a support network,
mentoring and various internship opportunities to help the students grow
both academically and professionally.”
Nelson DaSilva, who is also a veteran, utilized the GI Bill to pursue
his education and has become an integral part of the Corvias’ IT team in
the East Greenwich, RI office.
Of the 13 students to receive a Corvias Foundation scholarship this
year, several are the first in their families to pursue higher
education, with intentions of pursuing various areas of study, such as
medicine, business, law and biomedical engineering, at top schools
including Georgetown University, Dartmouth College, and New York
University, to name a few.
Rhode Island Corporate Office:
Sarah DaSilva of Smithfield,
Rhode Island works in a childcare center in her high school creating
lesson plans and caring for young children in her community. At URI
Sarah plans to major in psychology. She wants to continue working with
children and hopes to pursue a career helping others however she can.
Fort Riley Office:
Aubrey Smith attends White City High
School and is concurrently taking college courses at Butler County
Community College. She participated in various sports during her high
school career and was an active member of the student government and the
National Honor Society. At Fort Hays State University Aubrey will pursue
a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. Her ultimate goal is to earn a doctorate
degree and work as a nurse practitioner.
About Corvias Foundation
Corvias
Foundation is committed to inspiring students, college and university
campuses, and military families to reach higher. Founded in 2006 as “Our
Family for Families First Foundation,” our work increases access to
educational, internship, mentoring, and volunteer opportunities so that
those we touch are empowered to pursue their dreams and to make a
greater impact in service to their communities and their nation. We
strive to create ever-increasing opportunities by providing the
resources and networks needed to help our scholars and partners surpass
their goals. We achieve this through a commitment to education,
community engagement and high-impact charitable giving. To learn more,
please visit: corviasfoundation.org.
About Corvias
As a
privately-owned company headquartered in East Greenwich, Rhode Island,
Corvias partners with higher education and government institutions
nationwide to solve their most essential systemic problems and create
long-term, sustainable value through our unique approach to partnership.
Corvias pursues the kinds of partnerships that materially and
sustainably improve the quality of life for the people who call our
communities home, purposefully choosing to partner with organizations
who share our values and whose mission is to serve as the foundational
blocks, or pillars, of our nation. To learn more, please visit: corvias.com.
Contacts
Maria Montalvo, Corvias Foundation
401-228-2835
[email protected]
