Italian Mutual Benefit Association Scholars

Andrew Hawks, son of Dr. Ralph Hawks and Dr. Andrea Argeson, has been named the recipient of a $1500 scholarship for the 2024-2025 collegiate academic year by the Italian Mutual Benefit Association of Stroudsburg according to Felix Staffaroni, Association President.

Andrew, a Senior at Stroudsburg High School, currently sits in the top 3% of his class with a GPA of 3.96 (including nine AP courses). He is a member of the National Honor Society and the Technology Student Association (serving as President in his Senior year), several school clubs, and his high school marching, jazz, and concert bands. Andrew has been a member of the Boy Scouts of America since the fifth grade and has attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida in the Fall to major in Aerospace Engineering.

The IMBA Scholarship Program was established in 1989 as part of the Association’s Diamond Anniversary celebration. Scholarship applicants are required to demonstrate superior academic achievement, active involvement in extra-curricular activities, participation in school and community service, and write a 1000-word minimum essay on the topic “What My Italian Heritage Means to Me.”

The monetary grant is the result of a comprehensive evaluation and is applicable to the awardee’s Freshman year at a four-year college or university program. The Association members feel that it is very important, particularly in our present economic situation, to provide financial assistance to students and their families. Unfortunately, limited funds and keen competition for the scholarship does not permit additional assistance for other deserving candidates.

The mission of the Italian Mutual Benefit Association is “to promote positive social interaction between and among Americans of Italian descent, provide for the preservation of our Italian cultural heritage, and enhance the positive image of the Italian people within the greater community.” The Association continues to serve its constituents and was granted a Charter by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court of Common Pleas of Monroe County in 1914.