The Ryan Lee Memorial Scholarship Committee is proud to name Elizabeth DiVincentis of Durham, Connecticut as the recipient of the second annual Ryan Lee Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was awarded during the Stan Trojanowski Northern Junior Tournament at Ellington Ridge Country Club on Monday, July 23rd. Elizabeth will be attending Georgetown University this fall, where she will play Division I collegiate golf.
Elizabeth graduated from Coginchaug Regional High School in May, 2012, with an unbelievable list of scholastic accomplishments. Her list of awards includes receiving the Regional School District Scholar Athlete Award in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and being named to the High Honor Roll for all four years of her high school career. She was inducted into the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society in 2011 and was also awarded the RSD 13 Math Award of Excellence in 2011.
Elizabeth also volunteers her time for numerous charitable organizations and is involved in numerous community service activities. She led the Multiple Sclerosis Society walk in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and was the organizer for the Middlesex Hospital Phone-a-thon, Coginchaug Regional High School Bookmark Ceremony, Environmental Club Hunger Banquet, Roses for AustismCharirty Rose Sale, and EDGE week. She also coordinated sponsorship for underprivileged children in Malawi, Africa in 2011 and 2012.
In addition to her impressive scholastic accomplishments and remarkable dedication to the community, Elizabeth is also regarded as one of the top junior golfers in the northeast. She was the 2009 and 2010 Connecticut Section Junior Player of the Year and won a total of eleven events on the Connecticut PGA Junior Tour. She competed on the Boys golf team at Coginchaug Regional High School, where she made the All State Team, All New England Team and All Conference Team. She also finished fourth in the 2011 Connecticut Women's Amateur, and fifth in the 2011 New England High School Girls Championship. She also finished third at this year's Stan Trojanowski Northern Junior, shooting rounds of 78-76.
When asked what she learned through her junior golf experience that she will take with her into the future, she replied, “I have learned to have respect for my opponents and for the game of golf. I have learned about integrity, sportsmanship, etiquette, how to win with humility, and how to lose with graciousness.” DiVincentis also recalled a special moment she shared with Ryan Lee a few years ago as they sat behind the 18th green after a tough day on the golf course. In remembering that day,she remarked, “Indeed, life is easy when everything goes your way, but that rarely happens. I truly believe that I am and will be a better person because of my junior golf experience and that those experiences and the things that I have learned will be with me my entire life.”
The Ryan Lee Memorial Scholarship was formed in honor of Ryan Lee, who passed away on April 26th, 2011 at the age of 19. A two-time past champion of the Stan Trojanowski Northern Junior and a Northern Junior Committee member, Ryan was also a member of the Long Island University Golf Team. As a Division I collegiate golfer, Ryan embodied the most important traits of a successful person, both on and off the golf course. Ryan was persistent and determined, and always eager to learn. He never got angry on or off the course, and always showed the utmost respect for the game of golf. He garnered invaluable life lessons from his time as a collegiate golfer, and there is no doubt Ryan could have done anything in this world. The scholarship is intended for those young men and women wishing to play collegiate golf who also portray the same honor and appreciation for the game of golf as Ryan.
Elizabeth will receive a $1,500 scholarship, which will be used toward her educational expenses at Georgetown University this fall. Congratulations again to Elizabeth DiVincentis, the 2012 Ryan Lee Memorial Scholarship recipient, and a special thank you to all those who helped make this year's scholarship possible.