An alumna of St. Lawrence School is looking to memorialize a family member through establishing a sustaining scholarship to the parochial school in his name. Michelle M. Lorenzo-Caprio is attempting to establish the John Lorenzo, Jr. Scholarship for deserving students attending the school.
The scholarship will be established through a non-profit organization, Do Good, Feel Good, Inc. and will provide an ongoing scholarship, though final plans on just how the grant will be administered and its criteria are still to be determined.
“I spoke with Mr. (Frank) Arnone, principal at St Lawrence, so he knows my efforts and ideas,” Caprio said. “I would like to provide a scholarship to a student to attend in memory of John.”
A meeting between herself, Arnone, Fr. Jose Mercado, pastor, and Bambi Grestini, the new Director of Alumni Services, was planned for this week. In the meantime, Caprio has begun efforts to fund the scholarship.
Westies Nutrition, 153 Sawmill Road, is teaming up with Caprio, hosting a give-back day to help raise funds. Patrons who come in from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be helping with the effort. Letters have been sent to friends of both Caprio and her late brother, hoping to enlist help, and Facebook has been utilized.
“The event at Westies Nutrition will have a few raffles and they will be giving 10% back of the day’s sales,” Caprio said. “Both my daughter’s Michaela and Chloe, John’s only nieces, will be working at the event.”
Caprio remembered her years at SLS, but said her brother made a big impression during his years there, graduating in 1984. He then attended West Haven High School, Class of 1988. Never married, he went into the business world, finally working for Yale-New Haven Hospital until he was diagnosed with an illness that eventually led to his death on Sept. 21, 2020, four days shy of his 50th birthday.
“He was well loved and respected and was an assistant coach to several semi-pro football teams in the area,” Caprio said. “He was the kindest, most loving man, who was loved by so many and is truly missed.”
According to Kathleen Joyce, outgoing Director of Alumni Relations at the school, there are programs in place, but none similar to that which Caprio is proposing.
“We currently have an alumnus, Tom Prete, Class of 1976, who graciously provides a $500 scholarship for seventh graders (moving into eighth grade) who exhibit promise in engineering. Tom is the VP of Military Engineering at Pratt and Whitney,” she said. In addition, the Sisters of St. Joseph, who opened and ran the school for almost 100 years, provided a $10,000 scholarship, which was used for students in 2020. This is, however, the first time an alum is raising money in honor of her brother, to provide full tuition assistance to one student.”
Once the organizational hurdles are cleared, Michelle Caprio and her family hope to continue the scholarship for future students of St. Lawrence.
Donations can be mailed to:
Do Good, Feel Good, Inc
PO Box 16823
West Haven 06516