Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Scholarship Fund Accepting Applications
Each year, scholarships are awarded to local students in honor of Hinckley, NY teen Connor Lynskey through the Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.
Each year, scholarships are awarded to local students in honor of Hinckley, NY teen Connor Lynskey through the Connor Arthur Lynskey Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.
Graduating Holland Patent Central School seniors, as well as graduating seniors from high schools across Herkimer and Oneida counties, are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted now through April 1, 2024, 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 will ensure that Connor’s memory lives on by assisting medical and high school students to further their education.
Since the fund’s establishment in 2018, it has awarded over $50,000 to students enrolled in four-year institutions, 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 program and planned to become a rural doctor upon completion of his studies. It wasn’t until 2022 that the fund partnered with the Community Foundation to award these scholarships in memory of Connor.
“When we lost Connor, our family decided to start a scholarship to keep his memory alive,” said Connor’s uncle Don Lynskey. “Soon after that, a close friend suggested that since Connor was an avid athlete and runner, we should create a run and walk in his memory. That was the beginning of Connor’s Way Run/Walk and the source for continuing his memorial scholarship program year after year.”
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 7th annual run/walk will take place on Sunday, September 15, 2024. Registration details will be shared at connorsway.com.