Star Community Health Scholarships for 5 High School Seniors

Star Community Health has awarded $1,000 scholarships to five high school seniors from the Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton Area and Phillipsburg (NJ) school districts. The scholarships will assist recipients in funding their continuing education.

“We are so happy to offer these scholarships to five students in the Lehigh Valley who are in the communities we serve,” said Quynh Hicks, the interim director for Star Community Health. “Last year was our inaugural year for the scholarship program, and we are thrilled to help these students as they continue their education in their desired field and hopefully inspire them to give back to their community.”

Each applicant was selected based on their attendance at a high school within the Star Community Health Service area, as well as for their outstanding academic achievements and extracurricular involvement. Furthermore, they have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing higher education at either a two- or four-year institution.

Recipients were chosen from a one-page essay and also needed to submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher.

Star Community Health recognizes the strong link between education and health outcomes and remains dedicated to supporting young individuals in the communities we serve. Our goal is to empower them with opportunities that enhance their educational journey and overall well-being.

This is the second year that Star Community Health provides academic scholarships to local high school students. Applications go out early in the year and then five award winners are selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship for their continued education at a college of their choice.

The 2025 winners are: 

• Martina Ferriolo of Dieruff High School in Allentown, who will attend Cedar Crest and major in nursing.
• Pantelis Georgalas of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, who will attend St. Joseph’s University in the 6-year PharmD program.
• Hannah Heidmann of Freedom High School in Bethlehem, who plans to major in exercise science but is undecided on which college she will attend.
• Kimberly Kinara of Easton High School, who will attend Rutgers – New Brunswick and major in nursing.
• Matthew Sherer of Phillipsburg High School, who will attend Rutgers – New Brunswick and major in biology and genetics.

This is the second year Star Community Health is awarding seniors scholarships. The essay contest was open to any high school senior in the Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton Area and Phillipsburg (NJ) school districts who plans to attend a two- or four-year college.

Students were presented with their scholarships at their respective high schools.

Star Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike (FQHC-LA) with 13 practices and four mobile dental units, serving over 45,000 patients and counting.  The scholarship program was started in celebration of Star Community Health’s five-year anniversary as an FQHC-LA.