Since 1984, Antoinette Brown Blackwell Society has been awarding scholarships to Rush-Henrietta School District residents who are pursuing Post-High School learning. The Scholarship is in memory of Antoinette Brown Blackwell, the first ordained woman minister in the United States and a staunch advocate of women’s rights.
The scholarship fund is supported by members, friends, and various fundraisers.
Mr. Robert H. Donaldson has made significant contributions over the years in memory of his wife, Dorothy Rosalie DeGreef Donaldson. They once lived in the Brown house on Pinnacle Road. Dorothy held a great interest in young people and their education. This memorial fund greatly increases the support of the work that she would have championed.
The Antoinette Brown Blackwell Society has awarded over $60,000 in scholarships to more than 50 students
Eligibility
The Scholarship Committee reviews the applications to select students who have shown their commitment to academics and community service.
To be eligible for consideration, the applicant must be one of the following:
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- High school senior accepted at an institution of higher learning on a full– or part-time basis
- College student enrolled in continuing education
- Student pursuing a post-graduate program
- Student enrolled in a technical/apprenticeship program
Scholarships are awarded on the basis of leadership qualities, participation in Community Service opportunities, and full engagement with their academic studies. Finalists participate in an interview with the scholarship committee.
2024 Antoinette Brown Blackwell Scholarship Winner
Olivia Clark
Olivia Clark is an outstanding student who values learning, hard work, faith, and her family. She has been a consistent high honor roll student, and she’s challenged herself, taking 3 college classes at RIT and 4 AP classes: Calculus, Physics, Statistics, and Environmental Science. Olivia spoke about the challenges of beginning high school during remote learning in the early days of COVID. She began bullet journaling to help her stay organized and focused with her busy academic and extracurricular schedule. She sets goals and doesn’t let herself get derailed.
On the extracurricular side, Olivia played soccer on a club team for ten years. She also participated in JV Soccer, Cross Country, and Track at school. When she stopped doing organized sports, she took up running and biking on her own and with family members and friends to keep herself moving. She also participates in the RH Singers, serves as a Link Crew leader, and participates in Natural Helpers. Olivia works as a lifeguard and water safety instructor for the Rush-Henrietta School District; she spoke glowingly about how much fun she has teaching small children how to swim. She also works with children at her church, where she has been helping with the children’s ministry since 2019. In her scholarship essay, Olivia writes, “My faith has always been of importance to me, and it gives me
great pride that Antoinette Brown Blackwell, a fellow woman from Henrietta, paved the way for others as the first woman to be ordained.”
Olivia has a parallel passion for making things, which she channels into creating crafts, cards, and gifts for the people she cares about. She spoke about how good it feels to make something that someone uses and treasures. With her love of creation and her interest in STEM, she has the goal of becoming a civil engineer. She says, “My goal is to graduate with my Master’s and work for the state on the infrastructure issues at hand, bettering the roads and bridges that burden everyone’s commute. I will be able to use the joy I have for math and science and apply it to my career in the future.”