Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Scholarship Applications Now Open

Scholarships are awarded each year to local students in memory of Hinckley, NY teen Connor Lynskey through the Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

Graduating seniors from high schools across Herkimer and Oneida counties are encouraged to apply. Awards geared specifically toward graduates of Holland Patent Central School are also available. Applications are accepted through Tuesday, March 31, for the following scholarships:

• Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Academic Award for Holland Patent
• Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Academic Award for Oneida/Herkimer Counties
• Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Athletic/Character Award for Holland Patent
• Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Athletic/Character Award for Oneida/Herkimer Counties
• Joey R. Ventura Tradesman Award

To view eligibility and apply, visit foundationhoc.org/connor.

The scholarship fund was established in memory of Connor, a 2017 Holland Patent Central School District graduate and pre-med student whose life was tragically taken by a drunk driver on August 11, 2018. The scholarship fund aims to keep his memory alive and help medical and high school students to further their education. In 2022, the “Joey R. Ventura Tradesman Award” was added in memory of Joey, who was an accomplished local welding instructor who passed away unexpectedly in 2021.

Since the fund’s creation in 2018, it has awarded over $80,000 to students enrolled in colleges, universities, and certificate programs, as well as additional awards to students enrolled in the Upstate College of Medicine Early Assurance Program, with an emphasis on assisting students in the Rural Medical Doctor program. Connor was enrolled in this Upstate program and planned to become a rural doctor. In 2022, the scholarship fund partnered with the Community Foundation to grant the awards in his honor.

“As a family, our goal is to keep Connor’s memory alive for years to come through these memorial awards,” explained Connor’s uncle, Don Lynskey. “The mission of ‘Connor’s Way’ is to financially assist students with values and characteristics similar to Connor’s through these scholarships. We are striving to raise the funds to establish long-term endowments at both the Community Foundation and at Upstate Medical University to continue these memorial award programs in perpetuity.”

The scholarship program is funded by the annual Connor’s Way 5-Mile Scenic Memorial Run/Walk in Hinckley, which follows the route that Connor frequently ran. The 9th annual run/walk will return on September 20, 2026. Event details will be shared at connorsway.com.