João José John Santos Charitable Organization

It is with great honor that we announce our 2015 Scholarships Recipients in our 5th year of providing scholarships to High School Graduates. In this 10th year anniversary of John’s passing we are honoring the following graduates whose life have been touched by Suicide and/or Mental Illness. These excellent young people demonstrate what is possible with their hard work, service, perseverance and academic excellence!

Congratulations to our winners who are continuing their education at Duke University & James Madison University pursuing a gratifying career as: *Animal Assisted Therapist *Clinical Psychologist *Neuroscience Researcher

CASEY BOLANOWSKI:

“my interest in Psychology came from wanting to understand how people’s minds work. It’s interesting seeing the different perspectives of psychology… how past event, culture, and society affects people’s ability to think and behave. Growing up my life was touched by loved ones stressful situations and illness. I have always helped the people around me through various community services activities for the past eleven years, and coaching young in my 4-H clubs. I would like to continue that act of helping others, but to take it further in turning it into a career. I choose to become an animal assisted therapist in the helping profession because I want to be a part of something that can change people’s lives. To be able to increase someone’s mental and physical health through a way with working with the animals would be a job I would want to wake up every morning”.

JOHN ‘JACK’ LITTLE:

“the devastated impact of losing my good, childhood, athlete, friend to suicide due to his depression caused by excessive concussions has contributed to my career decision to study Chemistry and Neuroscience. I want to be able to help and educate people understand the dangers of concussions on the brain. Concussions are not going away, and they need to be addressed in order to save lives. I hope that one day we will be able to say that there are no longer athletes taking their own lifes”.

KRISTIN PARISI:

“growing up my life was impacted by mental illness of seeing a loved one struggling with a mental health disorder. That is why I am interested in psychology; because someones mind and behaviors have a story to tell. I want to help people fulfill their lives and whatever it is that they are meant to do. In order to understand people and even yourself, you have to understand them and their behaviors at their core. With my degree in psychology I can either be a researcher or a clinical psychologist. That is what excites me the most, to have enough knowledge to be able to really help people”.