Guild Scholarship - Thompson Health Guild

Guild's Scholarship

In 1967 the Guild created a scholarship fund to further the education of Thompson Health associates. To this day, the health system and the Guild continue to contribute funds to qualified associates' tuition bills.

In addition, the Guild established an annual scholarship fund that awards up to five $2,000 scholarships to deserving seniors in the service area of Thompson Health.

Phyllis Ehmann Memorial Scholarship
Terry Tremblay Memorial Scholarship
Russell and Deborah Kimble Memorial Scholarship
Gerry North Memorial Scholarship
Gail O'Brien Memorial Scholarship

Scholarships are given by the Guild to encourage young people to enter one of the many health care fields of study. Scholarship recipients must be registered in a human health-related field and must successfully complete their first college semester with the intent to study the second semester in a human health-related field. The Thompson Health Guild will award up to five scholarships each year, depending on applications received for viable student candidates.

General Guidelines for the Thompson Health Guild Scholarships are as follows:

Letters are mailed to local High School guidance counselors with link to online application
Eligible districts for the scholarship (based on Thompson Health's service area) are: Bloomfield, Canandaigua, Geneva, Honeoye, Honeoye Falls-Lima, Livonia, Marcus Whitman, Midlakes, Mynderse, Naples, Newark, Palmyra-Macedon, Penn Yan, Red Jacket, Victor and Waterloo.
Online Applications must be submitted by the student and guidance counselor and no later than April 12, 2024.
- Student Online Scholarship Application
- Guidance Counselor Online Form
APPLICATION CLOSES AT April 7, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

For more information on the scholarship program contact Carol Urbaitis, Scholarship Committee Chairperson, at Carol.Urbaitis@flcc.edu

2024 Guild Scholarship Recipients

The Thompson Health Guild awarded scholarships to five 2024 high school graduates. Each scholarship, worth $2,000, goes to a recipient registered in a health-related field who must successfully complete their first college semester with the intent to study the second semester in a health-related field.
The recipients were as follows:

Sean Spezzano

Sean Spezzano is the 2024 recipient of the Debbie & Russ Kimble Memorial Scholarship.

He will be attending Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, majoring in biochemistry.

Hailey Trank

Hailey Trank of Penn Yan Academy is the recipient of the Gerry North Memorial Scholarship. Trank will attend Nazareth University in Rochester, majoring in nursing.

Grace Davis

Grace Davis of Canandaigua Academy is the recipient of the Gail D. O’Brien Memorial Scholarship. She will attend Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), pursuing a five-year bachelor’s/master’s degree in the Physician Assistant program.

Jude Rischpater

Jude Rischpater of Naples High School is the recipient of the Theresa Trembly Memorial Scholarship.
He will be majoring in neuroscience at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa.

Johnathan Finewood

Johnathan Finewood

Johnathan Finewood of Midlakes High School is the recipient of the Phyllis Ehmann Memorial Scholarship. He has been accepted to SUNY Cortland, to study biology.

2023 Guild Scholarship Winners

The Thompson Health Guild awarded scholarships to five 2023 high school graduates. Each scholarship, worth $2,000, goes to a recipient registered in a health-related field who must successfully complete their first college semester with the intent to study the second semester in a health-related field.
The recipients were as follows:

Thomas Barden II

Thomas Barden II was the 2023 recipient of the Debbie & Russ Kimble Memorial Scholarship.

He is an incredibly hard worker, and he excelled at Penn Yan Academy, playing multiple sports, volunteering throughout the school and community, and working as a lifeguard, ski instructor, and farm hand.

Tommy enrolled in the BOCES New Vision program for his senior year of high school and chose SUNY Geneseo for his undergraduate experience, with the goal of moving on to attend medical school. He is currently thinking about a career in pediatrics.

Katherine Cline

Katherine Cline was the 2023 recipient of our Gerry North Memorial Scholarship.

Katherine excelled in her academic studies at Marcus Whitman with a class rank of 4 in a class of 101 students. She pushed herself academically while being an active member of her class, an athlete, community service volunteer, and holding down a part-time job.

During her senior year, she was a part of the BOCES New Visions Medical program at Thompson. In the fall, she will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Colgate University, with plans to later attend medical school.

Madeline Johnston

Madeline Johnston of Bloomfield High School was the 2023 recipient of our Gail O’Brien Memorial Scholarship.

An athlete who was involved in a number of extra-curricular activities throughout high school, Maddie participated in the New Vision Medical Program through BOCES during her senior year and was hired as a patient care technician at Thompson Hospital.

Maddie will attend RIT, where she will pursue the five-year BS/MS physician assistant program. Her long-term goal is to enroll in a bridge program, becoming a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathic medicine.

Louise Liu

Louise Liu of Midlakes High School was the 2023 recipient of our Theresa Tremblay Memorial Scholarship.

During high school, Louise took several accelerated courses, AP courses, and Gemini courses. She was also working to earn the Seal of Biliteracy in three languages – English, Chinese, and Spanish.

Louise participated in numerous extracurricular activities throughout high school and has devoted many hours to assisting in the success of her family’s restaurant businesses.

She will attend RIT to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography in order to become a radiologic technician.

Ava Pickering

Ava Pickering of Red Jacket High School was the 2023 recipient of our Phyllis Ehmann Memorial Scholarship.

Ava was president of her senior class and participated in Student Council, several school musicals and Ontario County Youth Court. Her counselor said she is amazing not just due to her accomplishments, but due to her character and integrity. She is passionate about helping others.

During her senior year, Ava participated in the BOCES New Vision Medical program at Thompson Hospital. She was accepted to study Biomedical Engineering at Montana State University in Bozeman. She has an additional goal to pursue a dual M.D./PhD degree in Dermatology.

The Thompson Health Guild is the auxiliary of UR Medicine Thompson Health, fundraising for the nonprofit organization in order to support capital campaigns, purchase medical equipment and offer programs for hospital patients, nursing home residents, staff members and community members. The scholarships are among the guild’s annual traditions.

2022 Guild Scholarship Recipients

The Thompson Health Guild awarded scholarships to five 2022 high school graduates. Each scholarship, worth $2,000, goes to a recipient registered in a health-related field who must successfully complete their first college semester with the intent to study the second semester in a health-related field.
The recipients were as follows:

Christina Barzac is the recipient of the Thompson Health Guild Gail O’Brien Memorial Scholarship. As a 2022 graduate of Bloomfield Central School, Christina plans to attend SUNY College at Brockport where she will pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Upon graduating from SUNY Brockport, Christina would like to work in a hospital emergency department. Her ultimate career goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner.

Nicholas Caster of Geneva, New York is this year’s recipient of the Gerry North Memorial Scholarship. He is a remarkable young man whose achievements in and out of the classroom are exceptional and whose personal characteristics embody those most important for the makings of a truly great physician.

Luceila (Lula) Dalupang of Farmington, NY is this year’s recipient of the Theresa Tremblay Memorial Scholarship. Lula is a senior at Victor Central School and will be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at Hamilton College on the pre med track.

Madison Martinez is this year’s recipient of the Phyllis Ehman Memorial Scholarship. Madison is a truly remarkable young woman. She is an extremely well rounded and motivated individual, who seems to have all the skills and traits necessary to become an amazing nurse, of which we are so profoundly in need right now.

Mackenzie Wheeler is this year’s recipient of the Deborah L. Kimble Memorial Scholarship. As a 2022 graduate of Midlakes High School, Mackenzie has been accepted at Rochester Institute of Technology where this fall she plans to pursue a five-year dual BS/MS degree with the goal of becoming a physician assistant specializing in pediatric medicine.

2021 Guild Scholarship Recipients

The Thompson Health Guild awarded scholarships to five 2021 high school graduates. Each scholarship, worth $2,000, goes to a recipient registered in a health-related field who must successfully complete their first college semester with the intent to study the second semester in a health-related field.
The recipients were as follows:

Emily Baker of Victor High School is the recipient of the Deborah L. Kimble Memorial Scholarship. With plans to attend the University of Delaware and become a nurse, she took part in the Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center’s New Visions Health Therapy Sciences Program and a Medical Explorers program during high school. She also volunteered at Thompson and Highland hospitals as well as shadowed at her pediatrician’s office.

Lauren Bell of Bloomfield High School is the recipient of the Gail D. O’Brien Memorial Scholarship and in the fall will attend Daeman College in Amherst, NY, where she is pursuing a five-year Physician Assistant degree. During high school, Bell participated in the New Visions Medical Program and was an athlete involved in both student government and community service.

Isaiah Delgado of Midlakes High School is the recipient of the Gerry North Memorial Scholarship. Delgado is attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall, to major in Biomedical Science with the ultimate goal of becoming a doctor. An athlete, musician and volunteer, Delgado participated in New Visions Health Therapy Sciences during his senior year.

Jillian Genthner of Livonia High School is the recipient of the Phyllis Ehmann Memorial Scholarship. A high school athlete active in student government and her church, she will be pursuing a five-year master’s degree in nursing from St. John Fisher College in Rochester. Her minor will be in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals and her ultimate goal is to become a nurse practitioner.

Kennedy Knopf of Canandaigua Academy is the recipient of the Theresa Tremblay Memorial Scholarship. An athlete who was involved in her school’s band program and in community service, Knopf will attend the University of Washington for its four-plus-one bachelor’s/master’s program. Majoring in Bioengineering with a minor in Spanish, her goal is to become involved in stem cell research.

2020 Guild Scholarship Winners

The Thompson Health Guild recently awarded scholarships to five 2020 high school graduates. Each scholarship, worth $2,000, goes to a recipient registered in a health-related field who must successfully complete their first college semester with the intent to study the second semester in a health-related field.
The recipients were as follows:

Katey Lincoln of Naples Central School is the recipient of the Gerry North Memorial Scholarship. She is pursuing a master’s degree in the physician assistant program at Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y.

Paige O’Brien of Geneva High School is the recipient of the Theresa Tremblay Memorial Scholarship. She is already a certified nursing assistant and chose the University of Albany, where she is on a pre-med track.

Kimberly Serio of Livonia High School is the recipient of the Phyllis Ehman Memorial Scholarship. She is attending Utica College, where she enrolled in an accelerated, six-year undergraduate-to-doctoral degree program in physical therapy.

Jacob “JD” Slocum of Honeoye High School is the recipient of the Gail D. O’Brien Memorial Scholarship and is pursuing a bachelor’s in nursing at SUNY Buffalo this fall, with the ultimate goal of obtaining a doctorate in nursing and becoming a certified nurse anesthetist.

Emma Smithers of Waterloo High School is the recipient of the Deborah L. Kimble Memorial Scholarship. She is pursuing both an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Alfred State College in Alfred, N.Y.

2019 Scholarship Recipients

Thompson Health Guild Awarded Scholarships to Four 2019 Graduates

These four area students received scholarships from the Thompson Health Guild, the auxiliary of UR Medicine Thompson Health last year
The scholarships were presented by the Guild at its annual dinner, held June 5 at Ferris Hills at West Lake in Canandaigua.

Each scholarship, worth $2,000, went to a recipient registered in a health-related field who must successfully complete their first college semester with the intent to study the second semester in a health-related field.

The recipients were as follows:

Kiersten Jones of Waterloo High School received the Gerry North Memorial Scholarship Award and plans to obtain an Associate in Arts degree in Liberal Arts - with a psychology concentration - at Finger Lakes Community College.
Lindsey Kugler of Naples High School received the Deborah L. Kimble Memorial Scholarship Award and plans to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Niagara University.
Danielle Snyder of Canandaigua Academy received the Phyllis Ehmann Memorial Scholarship Award and plans to obtain a Bachelor of Science/Doctorate in Physical Therapy - through a six-year program - at Nazareth College.
Louis Smith of Mynderse Academy received the Terry Tremblay Scholarship Award and plans to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Syracuse University.

Also during the annual dinner, the Thompson Health Guild presented the health system with $70,000 to go toward the new, 12-bed ICU and Pulmonary Medicine Clinic, scheduled to open at Thompson next year.

Thompson Guild Scholarship Recipients

PHOTO CAPTION: From left are Thompson Health Guild scholarship recipients Lindsey Kugler of Naples High School, Louis Smith of Mynderse Academy, Kiersten Jones of Waterloo High School and Danielle Snyder of Canandaigua Academy.