New York – The committee for the Meg Votta Memorial Scholarship Committee is proud to announce that three winners have been selected for 2016.

This year’s winners are Jack Honig of the Morris Rugby Club and Ailyn Rosa of the New York Rugby Club. In addition, the committee has awarded a third scholarship and given special recognition to John Graziano of the Xavier High School Rugby Club.

This marks the sixth year of awarding the scholarship to high school seniors who are graduating and attending college in the fall, where all of our winners plan on continuing their involvement in rugby. Each winner receives a $750 scholarship, with Mr. Graziano receiving a $500 award.

The committee would like to thank all those who entered the scholarship contest by writing essays about their rugby experience so far and plans for the future. Those who submitted essays included: Isabel Flores and Grisell Ovalles of the New York Rugby Club, Matthew Lydon of Xavier High School and Delia Hellander of the Morris Rugby Club. The committee would like to highlight that each applicant submitted strong essays and each one showed both character and a true understanding of the spirit of the world-wide rugby community.

The committee was moved by Mr. Honig’s already long career in rugby, starting as a young player and his work with younger, developmentally challenged youth rugby players. Miss Rosa has overcome personal challenges and has shown that through rugby she will be the first person in her family to go to college. Special recognition was given to Mr. Graziano who was an active member of the Xavier High School rugby team until an injury forced him to stop playing. Mr. Graziano exhibited true team spirit, however, in becoming the team’s manager and an essential part of the team’s structure. As was pointed out in his coach’s recommendation, “His willingness to serve his team, his teammates and the sport he loves, epitomizes the “Men for Others” mentality we strive for at Xavier.”

The Meg Votta Memorial Scholarship is handed out each spring and continues the legacy of Meg Votta. She was an early member of the Gotham City Women’s Rugby Club, which became the New York Women’s Rugby Club, and The Touring Women Over Thirty, the Olde Girls Rugby Club, a traveling women’s team. Professionally, she was an award-winning chef. Feeding her friends and rugby were her passions and the committee is proud to continue this scholarship in her name. Meg passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2009. The funds for the scholarship are raised in the annual Meg Votta Memorial Chili Cook-Off, traditionally held each year the weekend before the Super Bowl.

The Meg Votta Scholarship Committee is Liz Cass, Melissa Daley, Amy Kline, Kathleen Lambert, David Martin, Becky Updegraph and Justin Yu.