Community Corner

Katherine Dobroczynski Memorial Scholarship Fund Seeks Applicants

The fund Established in memory of a Southington Girl is set to award its first scholarship.

The fund Established in memory of a Southington Girl is set to award its first scholarship.
The fund Established in memory of a Southington Girl is set to award its first scholarship. (Tim Jensen/Patch)

SOUTHINGTON, CT — The fund Established in memory of a Southington Girl is set to award its first scholarship.

The Katherine Dobroczynski Memorial Scholarship Fund is currently seeking applications.

Katherine Elizabeth "Katie" Dobroczynski was only 10 years old when she passed away in 2013. The Southington resident, was an active member of the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCAs and loved to swim, fish with her dad and play golf at Hawk's Landing Country Club.

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To honor her memory, the Katherine Dobroczynski Memorial Scholarship Fund was established at Main Street Community Foundation in 2014 with initial donations from the coworkers of Katie's mother, Christina Dobroczynski. It has grown through additional donations from family, friends and the community so that the scholarship is now a permanent legacy.

Katherine Dobroczynski

The first award will be granted this spring, the year Katie would have graduated from Southington High School.

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Preference will be given to current members of the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCAs.

Applicants must be pursuing studies in the area of neuroscience, veterinary medicine or elementary education.

"Katie had epilepsy, a neurological condition," Christina said as she discussed the reasoning for the scholarship criteria. "But Katie had a passion for animals and wanted to be a veterinarian. She also loved kids and had a gift for connecting with them. We want to help students who possess the same qualities Katie did and continue her legacy."

To view all eligibility criteria and requirements, and to apply for the scholarship, visit
MSCFScholarships.CommunityForce.com and search for the Katherine Dobroczynski Memorial
Scholarship Fund.

For more information on applying for this and other scholarships, contact Samantha Rajotte, the scholarship and program officer at Main Street Community Foundation, 860-583-6363 or
samantha@mainstreetfoundation.org.

Anyone interested in making a contribution to the Katherine Dobroczynski Memorial Scholarship Fund may do so at any time by sending donations to Main Street Community Foundation, P.O. Box 2702, Bristol, CT 06010.

Since its founding in 1995, the foundation has provided over $21.3 million in grants and
scholarships.

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