Allentown Diocese Bishop John O. Barres will present $1,000 scholarships to 114 eighth grade students from Catholic elementary schools who will attend one of the diocesan high schools in the Fall, during the Annual Bishop's Scholar Society Awards Ceremony to take place on Saturday, April 2, at 10 a.m. at Alvernia College, Reading.

Included among the scholarship recipients are 16 students who will attend Marian High School, Hometown, and two students who will attend Allentown Central Catholic High School.In addition, the Bishop will present two Marian students $500 scholarships for post-secondary education and plaques, declaring them Bishop's Catholic Scholars.The eighth grade scholarship recipients were selected based on their academic achievement, their school, parish and community activities, leadership roler and recommendations from their principal, eighth grade teacher and their pastor.The local students who will attend Marian and receive the $1,000 awards are:Faith Befano, Kayla Rodick, Shelby Sanko and Alison Walck, all students at McAdoo Catholic Elementary School; Riley Carroll and Nicholas Sully, St. Joseph Regional Academy, Jim Thorpe; Megan Fatula, Trinity Academy, Mahanoy City; Cassandra Hoben, Taylor Horvat, Anthony Stianche and Bradley Kozuch, Our Lady of the Angels Academy, Lansford; Katelyn Hosler and Sierra Volkert, SS. Peter and Paul School, Lehighton; and James McKinley, Matthew Karnish and Emily Pilla, St. Jerome Regional School, Tamaqua.The local students who will attend ACC and receive the $1,000 awards are Kristina Gonzalez and Laura Lupin, students at St. John Neumann Regional School, Palmerton.Meanwhile, Marian students Brandon Dopira and Victoria Vadyak will be named the Bishop's Catholic Scholars. They were chosen based on their academics, school involvement, Catholic faith and community service.The keynote speaker for the ceremony will be the Hon. William E. Ford, a judge of the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. He and his wife, Rosemary, attended Catholic grade schools in Allentown. They met at Central Catholic and both graduated from Catholic colleges. The Fords have 11 children, all of whom attended Catholic grade school and graduated from ACC. The first nine graduated from Catholic colleges. The youngest two Ford children are students at Catholic colleges. Their oldest grandchild, Max Ebert, will be one of the students to receive an eighth grade scholarship. He attends St. Michael the Archangel School, Allentown, and will attend ACC in the Fall.Each of the scholarship winners was asked to write an essay on "Character, Service and Catholic Education." The winning essay will be read at the ceremony and its author will receive a special award from Bishop Barres.