SVC students Cameron Walker and Lauren Brennan honored at Education Department’s annual senior send-off picnic

LATROBE, PA - On May 3, Saint Vincent College junior Cameron Walker was awarded the inaugural Kathleen Durkin Bendel Education Scholarship and senior Lauren Brennan received the Matt Russo Memorial Award during the Education Department's annual senior send-off picnic at the Saint Vincent College Grove.

The Kathleen Durkin Bendel Scholarship will be presented annually to an SVC student with either an education major or minor who is either a junior or in the last year before student teaching. It honors Kathleen Durkin Bendel, a beloved teacher in the Greater Latrobe School District and at Holy Trinity Catholic School.

Walker, of Leechburg, is majoring in history and pursing a secondary education (grades 7-12) certification. He is a group leader for eighth-grade boys at Cornerstone Ministries. At SVC, he is a student orientation director, president of the Education Club, president of Phi Alpha Theta national history honors society and a class senator in the Student Government Association.

The Russo Award honors the late Matt Russo, who was an education student and member of student government at SVC. The award is presented to a junior preK-4 education major who reflects Russo's traits of friendliness, service and dedication.

Brennan, of Saint Leonard, MD, is a preK-4 education major and a Fred Rogers Scholar. She is a volunteer for the SVC Education Department's Challenge Program, an annual, one-week STEM program for students from pre-K through 12^th grade.

At the send-off picnic, several senior education majors were presented with Education Department Service Award medallions. Those students were:

• Brady Adamson
• Lauren Brennan
• Zachary Choby
• Azalynn Coblentz
• Alyson Frank
• Keely Hagofsky
• EJ Kammerer
• Samantha Lantz
• Katie Leonard
• Emma Palombia
• Madeline Schuck
• Abigail Skundrich
• Dylan Slebodnik
• Jada Davenport
• Connor Petrunak
• Angel Scalamogna

PHOTO 1: Kathleen Durkin Bendel Education Scholarship winner Cameron Walker (right) with Allie Arendas, daughter of Kathleen Durkin Bendel

PHOTO 2: (From left) 2023 Matt Russo Award winner Katie Leonard, 2024 Matt Russo Award winner Lauren Brennan and Dr. Kathy Beining, director of SVC Education Department preK-12 programs