St. Thomas Aquinas College Family,
My Dad, Michael P. Daly, 88, passed away on April 7, 2022, and joined my Mother, Margaret E. Daly, in Heaven. Our family wanted to honor his life in a very special way. So, we launched a scholarship in Dad’s memory —after previously naming a scholarship in memory of my Mom.
Like Mom, Dad was my hero and lived a wonderful life of hard work, service to his country, and, most importantly, care for his family. Dad was a devout Catholic who was raised in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn, where he rooted for his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers and met Jackie Robinson — “The Boys of Summer” — before proudly serving in the US Navy during the Korean War. Dad came home to marry Mom, work as a New York City Firefighter as the “Iron Eagle” in Bedford Stuyvesant, and enjoy softball, golf, Giants football, Irish music, camping trips, horseshoes at “Kiddy Beach,” and, of course, Schaefer beer.
Dad raised me and my four siblings before retiring with Mom to a wonderful life in Sea Colony, Florida for nearly 30 years. He became beloved “Pop” to his 9 grandchildren — all of whom he adored — and spent his final years back home in Brooklyn with our family.
What a blessing it is to memorialize Dad through the creation of a scholarship that will enable others to become heroes and learn the importance of serving others through a STAC education. Please consider donating to the Michael P. Daly scholarship so that his memory lives on through our deserving students.
Warm Regards,
Ken Daly
MEET OUR WELL-DESERVING RECIPIENTS
Brianna Cabrera, Erick Campbell, Rosveli Morel, and Nicholas Oelcher were all presented with the Michael P. Daly Scholarship.
This year, the Scholarship in memory of Michael P. Daly has been awarded to four hard-working students in our freshman class: Brianna Cabrera, who chose STAC to study Early Childhood Education with a concentration in English, Erick Campbell and Rosveli Morel who are enrolled in our College’s Biology program, and Nicholas Oelcher, who is majoring in Finance.
After graduating from John Jay School for Law in Brooklyn, NY, Brianna found an immediate connection to STAC. She chose to attend the College after learning about all of the opportunities the campus has to offer: “I enjoy meeting and connecting to new people on campus, and am thankful for the variety of courses offered at STAC.” Studying Early Childhood Education, Brianna looks forward to learning more in the classroom so she can apply those lessons with her own students in the future.
Upon graduating from Eagle Academy for Young Men of Southeast Queens in Queens, NY, Erick knew STAC was the right fit for him: “I love the classroom environment at STAC — it is exactly what I was looking for when searching for colleges. The class sizes are not too big and not too small, which allows me and my peers to interact with our professors.” As a Biology major and student-athlete on the Sprint Football team, Erick has found camaraderie with his teammates, and also likes how Spartans help Spartans: “There is always someone to help — all you need to do is ask.”
Rosveli, a graduate of Juan Morel Campos Secondary School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, studies Biology at STAC and has found her fit at the College. “I really like how students can create great bonds with the employees and faculty on campus and interact each semester.” Rosveli has felt a greater sense of independence on campus, noting it is “important to maintain responsibility on yourself and your studies.”
Nicholas, a graduate of Sachem High School East in Farmingville, Long Island, knew that STAC was the right fit for him: “My experience so far at STAC has been a great one. The people are supportive and playing baseball here has been a ton of fun. All of my professors are wonderful and set students up for success. STAC gives all of the tools necessary to succeed on campus.” Nicholas is thriving and has enjoyed learning new coursework, and notes: “Work hard and good things will happen for you.”