The Prairie State College (PSC) Foundation is honored to announce a new scholarship–the Gail Ann Prize (GAP) Scholarship–recently established as the result of a large donation given by philanthropist and PSC alumnus Allan DiCastro. This scholarship was very generously provided to support former Serena Hills Elementary School students who are now PSC students.
Originally from Chicago Heights, DiCastro attended PSC and later moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s. Despite the distance, he sought ways to give back to the community in memory of his late sister, Gail Ann DiCastro, who passed away in 1979. Ms. DiCastro planned to enroll at PSC in the fall of 1979, but was one of three graduates from Homewood-Flossmoor High School killed in the crash of American Airlines Flight 191, leaving Chicago O’Hare International Airport and heading to Los Angeles on May 25, 1979. The crash claimed 273 lives, including all 258 passengers and 13 crew members, as well as two individuals, on the ground, making it the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
Originally from Chicago Heights, DiCastro attended PSC and later moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s. Despite the distance, he sought ways to give back to the community in memory of his late sister, Gail Ann DiCastro, who passed away in 1979. Ms. DiCastro planned to enroll at PSC in the fall of 1979, but was one of three graduates from Homewood-Flossmoor High School killed in the crash of American Airlines Flight 191, leaving Chicago O’Hare International Airport and heading to Los Angeles on May 25, 1979. The crash claimed 273 lives, including all 258 passengers and 13 crew members, as well as two individuals, on the ground, making it the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
Think you may qualify?
If you attended Serena Hills Elementary School in Chicago Heights, IL for at least 1 semester, you may qualify for this very special scholarship. Click the button below to email the Foundation ([email protected]) to see if you meet the criteria for this opportunity. Please put interested in the GAP Scholarship as subject. The Foundation is excited to help make more dreams a real possibility through Allan DiCastro's amazing generosity.
“I want the kids from Serena Hills to realize they have the same opportunities that I had. It's like the Wizard of Oz — Dorothy always had the power, and so do these kids. My mother was waylaid from finishing her degree for many years until she was able to enroll in the nursing program at PSC. I want them to know that it can happen for them too, but they have to go forward, and I am here to help get them started.”
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