DeSales Catholic School 8th grader, Ryann Morris will be presented with the Tim Russert Creative Writing Scholarship during a televised segment to support Catholic Education on Sunday, April 3rd, from 8:00-9:00 PM on WBBZ-TV. Long before he was a nationally recognized journalist, known for his 16-year tenure hosting NBC’s Meet the Press, Tim Russert had a humble beginning in WNY Catholic schools; first at St. Bonaventure elementary school, then on to Canisius High School. Two of his teachers had a profound impact on him, Sr. Lucille Socciarelli and Fr. John Sturm, who recognized his strength as a writer and encouraged him to further hone those skills. The family of Tim Russert established this scholarship to encourage young people to pursue creative writing and/or journalism. As this year’s winner, Ryann will be presented with a $2,500 tuition voucher to a Catholic high school.
DeSales English Teacher, Mrs. Amanda Souliske nominated Ryann for this award saying; “Ryann is exemplary in her academics. Her work is of superior quality. She contributes to class discussions in a thoughtful way and writes beautifully. Ryann is intelligent and demonstrates strong leadership, she is most deserving of this award”
Ryan’s essay was titled “Home” and reflected on her journey at DeSales from Kindergarten through 8th grade. As Ryann wrote of her experiences in kindergarten she described a day with esteemed teacher, Mrs. Candy Chase saying; “Kindergarten was a dream. The year when playtime was all the time, and the world was made of rainbows, surprisingly taught me a lot, a lot more than just my ABCs. My kindergarten teacher’s name is Mrs. Chase. Now what you have to understand is that Mrs. Chase is not a boring woman. If there were an award for “Most Fabulous Teacher,” she’d be the reigning champ. Her daughter owns a fashion accessory store in Lockport. I always loved her sparkle. My most valuable lesson I learned from her, I learned on the first day. I learned that every day you wake up with God should be marvelous”
Ryann is the daughter of Kelly Morris of Lockport. She will attend Mount Saint Mary’s Academy next fall for high school.
DeSales is Eastern Niagara County’s only Catholic School, serving over 300 students in Early Childhood Education through Eighth grade.
Photo (Left to Right): Mrs. Amanda Souliske, Ryann Morris and Mrs. Candy Chase