Jack DeRose of Olean One of Four to Receive Statewide Scholarship

ALBANY – New York State Senator George Borrello announced that Jack DeRose, a senior at Olean High School is one of four students across New York State who will receive a $4,500 scholarship form the New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators.

Sen. Borrello, President of the Conference of Italian-American State Legislators, nominated DeRose for the Assemblyman James D. Conte Memorial Scholarship for Academic Achievement.

“Jack has the drive and determination to be successful in whatever path he follows in college and beyond. He excels academically and athletically while making service to others a priority in his life. I am very proud to have recommended Jack as a nominee for the James D. Conte Memorial Scholarship,” Sen. Borrello said.

Members of the Conference of Italian-American State Legislators nominated students for the Assemblyman James D. Conte Memorial Scholarship for Academic Achievement and the Senator John J. Marchi Memorial Scholarship for Athletic Achievement.

Nominee applications were reviewed by an independent panel from The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute of Queens College, the City University of New York, who selected four scholarship recipients.

DeRose and his fellow scholarship recipients will be honored during a celebration at the Legislative Office Building and during a luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion on May 22, Italian-American Day. The scholarship recipients will also be recognized during a session of the State Senate.

In the fall DeRose will attend St. Bonaventure University, majoring in business and finance. He will also take the court as a member of the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies Division 1 basketball team.

Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio, also a member of the Conference of Italian-American State Legislators, nominated DeRose for an athletic scholarship, but the reviewers chose him for his academic achievements.

“I’m happy to offer my congratulations to Olean High School senior Jack DeRose upon his selection as a recipient of the Senator James D. Conte Memorial Academic Scholarship,” Assemblyman Giglio said. “It isn’t often that a student from our region is chosen to receive one of these prestigious awards, and I am especially delighted that Jack has chosen to continue his studies at St. Bonaventure University. His talents in the classroom and on the basketball court will be exciting to follow. It is our sincere hope that he will continue to contribute to our community for many years.”

DeRose is the son of Melissa and Mike DeRose and is a senior at Olean Central School. He has earned High Honor Roll throughout high school and received the Scholar Athlete Award. He has been a member of the Olean Huskies varsity basketball team and a member of the varsity cross-country team. Jack also earned the 20/40 Point Award for student involvement in extracurricular activities.

He was a member of Unified Sports for four years as a team player, a coach and a referee. The program promotes the social inclusion of students with and without disabilities through sports. DeRose has volunteered at the Saint John’s Church Italian Festival for four years and has participated in Coaches vs. Cancer and Golf to Fight Cancer for two years. He has volunteered at the Olean Warming House soup kitchen, was a bell ringer for the Salvation Army and attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference.

Outside the classroom, he has been a member of the Student Activity Council and the Principal’s Advisory Board. DeRose participated in Model United Nations earning first place, has been a member of the National Honor Society and placed fourth in the Poetry Out Loud competition.

“Jack’s work ethic is phenomenal. He’s an outstanding young man and I couldn’t be happier that he was chosen to receive this scholarship,” Sen. Borrello said. “I wish him nothing but success and happiness as he starts this exciting journey.”

DeRose is a fourth-generation Italian-American. His paternal great-grandparents immigrated to the United State from Gorgoglione, Italy, through Ellis Island in the early 1900s. His great-grandfather found a job with the railroad and settled in Olean, NY.

The New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators is a bipartisan organization of state Assembly and Senate members who actively promote and celebrate the state’s Italian-American community.

Earlier this year, Sen. Borrello was chosen by his Senate and Assembly colleagues to serve as president of the New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators.

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