Mark Carr Scholarship Foundation

06/02/2025

2025 New Britain High School - Scholarship Winner
Shayan Raghoo

Hello! My name is Shayan Raghoo and I am this year's recipient for the Mark Carr Scholarship. I am a senior in high school and I plan on attending UCONN in Storrs, Connecticut where I plan on pursuing a degree in Computer Science and eventually a Master's in Homeland Security. I wish to eventually become an Intelligence officer and work for the government, my experience with being Senator Blumenthal's guest for the 2024 State of Union has pushed me into realizing that government work is something I am really interested in. I am very grateful for receiving the Mark Carr scholarship because it opens opportunities for me to further my education and simple words cannot express my gratitude. A thank you is simply not enough for this opportunity and I hope to continue to uphold and exceed the standards that this scholarship has given me.

06/02/2025

2025 Charter Oak State College - Scholarship Winner
Troy Poynton Sr.

Expressions from Troy Poynton Sr.
I am writing to express my deepest gratitude to you for honoring me with the Mark Carr Scholarship. It is a tremendous honor to receive a scholarship named in honor of a Fire Chief. I worked as a firefighter for twenty-five years in Waterbury and retired as a lieutenant in June 2023. Even though I am retired, I feel like I still have much more that I can give to my community. That is why I am pursuing my degree in Public Safety Administration. My goal is to move into a career in homeland security and emergency management, and having a public safety administration degree will enhance my opportunities to be successful in that endeavor. I am currently working full-time as a 911 dispatcher while I pursue my degree.
Thank you for this generous scholarship.
Sincerely, Troy Poynton Sr.

06/07/2024

Celine Chreiha shares the following message:
Hi! My name is Celine Chreiha, and I’m a 2024 graduate of New Britain High School. During high school, I played volleyball, founded my own club, volunteered at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, and graduated in the top 10% of my class. I’m very honored to have received the Mark Carr Memorial scholarship, and I’m extremely excited for my next journey. I will be majoring in biology on the pre-med track at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. My dream is to become a doctor, hopefully a dermatologist with my own clinic one day. I hope to help people and make a positive impact in the world.

06/07/2024

Rachael Amaya shares the following message:
I am a graduating senior, going to UCONN for the fall of 2024, who is aspiring to become a pediatrician. My passion for medicine began when I took a medical course called, Human Body Systems. I enjoyed learning about the various systems that make up humans, from researching to dissecting them. Having the privilege to learn about the anatomy and physiology of the human body also exposed me to the importance of applying its discoveries to providing care for people of all demographics.
My curiosity in medicine led me to explore the clinical aspect of medicine. Through my experience in volunteering at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, the Pines Nursing Home, and CNA training at Monsignor Bojnowski Manor, I learned that medicine goes beyond expertise, it is about the deep human connection you form with a person who is in the most difficult moment in their life. I hope to continue pursuing my ambitions, made possible with the help of the Mark Carr Scholarship Foundation committee, to whom I am extremely thankful."
Best regards, Rachael Amaya

06/07/2024

Congratulations to Celine Chreiha and Rachael Amaya
Celine and Rachael are graduates of New Britain High School and they are the 2024 winners of the Mark Carr Scholarship at New Britain High School, New Britain, CT. The entire Foundation Board congratulates both on their achievements. We are proud of them and wish them good luck on their respective goals.
Please join me in wishing them all the best!

09/25/2023

Congratulations to Di’Maya Corbin.
2023 Scholarship Winner of the Mark Carr Scholarship at Charter Oak State College.
The Foundation Board congratulates and supports Di’Maya in her career aspirations. Please join me in offering your support and congratulations.

A Word from Di’Maya:
My name is Di’Maya Corbin and I am very honored to be one of this year's Mark Carr Memorial Scholarship recipients.

I am currently a junior and planning to graduate in 2024. I’m majoring in criminal justice, and with this degree, I plan on becoming a juvenile probation officer. My goal is to be able to help teens who are caught up in the system and hope that I can help them have a better future and find a way out. It has always been a dream of mine to help people as much as I can.

Upon graduation, I plan on finding an internship to get field experience while being a probation officer. After doing my internship, I do plan on staying in Connecticut and finding a job either with the state or a local municipality, that will best fit my career choice.

06/04/2023

Congratulations to Keysy Gomez Mena
Keysy Gomez-Mena is one of the 2023 Winners of the Mark Carr Scholarship at New Britain High School, New Britain, CT. The Foundation congratulates her. We are very proud of her and wish her good luck on her goals and her journey.

A Word from Keysy:
I am a graduate of New Britain high school. I am part of the health academy, marching band, National Honor Society, and a lot of other programs.
I've worked as a lifeguard during the summer and at a local supermarket. I like to volunteer and spend time with my family and friends. I enjoy volunteering as a camp counselor and lifeguard during the summer and every Sunday at the Salvation Army church in New Britain. I am an inspiring future nursing major, and I've been accepted into a lot of different colleges/universities for their nursing program.

06/04/2023

Congratulations to Adriana Gutowska
Adriana Gutowska is one of the 2023 Winners of the Mark Carr Scholarship at New Britain High School, New Britain, CT. The Foundation congratulates her. We are very proud of her and wish her good luck on her goals and her journey.

A Word from Adriana:
I am planning to attend UCONN in the fall of 2023 in the pursuit of a career in wildlife and / or environmental science. When I turned 18, I became a probationary firefighter, and was able to attend all types of calls (excluding HAZMAT calls). I learned how to dress hydrants, set up ladders, check SCBAs, and go up in the ladder truck bucket. Through this, I was not only able to help the community, but also learn more about how to help others and behave in a professional way. I hope to once again volunteer at a local fire department.
I have done jiu-jitsu for years and an option for the future is to open a jiu-jitsu gym.
I plan to use all of the skills I have learned through my experiences, be it volunteering or training, to keep developing myself into a more well-rounded individual. Though I am unsure of what my future holds, I aim to walk with my head high and eyes open, and keep seeking the best future for myself and those around me.

06/04/2023

2023 Winners of the Mark Carr Scholarship at New Britain High School
Congratulations to Adriana Gutowska and Keysy Gomez-Mena

03/18/2023

Congratulations to Thomas McKinstry.

2023 Scholarship Winner of the Mark Carr Scholarship at Charter Oak State College.
The Foundation Board congratulates and extends our appreciation for the service that he has provided in the past and currently does through his job. We are proud of him and wish him good luck on his future goals.

About T. McKinstry:
Thomas McKinstry is a US Army Veteran who enlisted in 2012 as a 19Delta or, in civilian terms, a Cavalry Scout. He is an Emergency Medical Technician and a former Combat lifesaver who currently works as the head of security for Ga***rd Specialty Healthcare.
Thomas resides in Connecticut with his lovely wife and their two puppies, Teddy and Rocky.
In addition to attending courses at Charter Oak State College, Thomas has the flexibility to travel to new places as shown in the photo of his recent trip to Switzerland and enjoy life while finishing his degree.
Thomas looks forward to continuing his education at Charter Oak State College and is very appreciative and thankful to receive the Mark Carr Scholarship while on his journey to obtain his baccalaureate in Cyber Security.

06/30/2022

Congratulations to the 2022 New Britain High Scholarship winner Eric Maldonado!!!

For as long as I can remember, I always dreamt about being a firefighter and making a difference in my community.

Growing up, we would watch videos in class honoring the men and women who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.
Seeing the heroes run towards the danger inspired me at such a young age to want to help people like they did. I grew up right next to Station 5 which is also a training facility and I just couldn't wait to one day walk in the same shoes as those men and women.

Growing up in New Britain, it's very easy to fall into the wrong crowd. For me sports and band prevented me from falling into that pattern. Being a part of these extra-curricular activities, it has taught me many important things that are needed to be a successful firefighter. Being the captain of the NBHS Wrestling team taught me leadership, being able to work in teams, and being coachable.

I'm hoping these skills will also help me with continuing my education at The University of New Haven where I'm majoring in Fire Science with a concentration towards Fire Administration. Being a first generation college student I hope to inspire my siblings to follow their dreams no matter how hard
that dream may be and show them that they can be successful no matter what as long as they work hard.

01/02/2022

About Victor Morrone:
Victor’s career in emergency services spans over 32 years. He has functioned in many aspects of EMS including the military, rural, suburban and urban environments. Victor is a retired state Firefighter/Paramedic after twenty combined years with Bradley International Airport Fire Rescue and the University of Connecticut Health Center Fire Department. He has taught at the paramedic level for over eighteen years serving in the role has adjunct faculty and clinical educator. He has an Associate’s Degree in Paramedic Studies and is an Emergency Medical Services Instructor. Victor currently works for New Britain EMS. He was initially a shift Lieutenant and now works full time for their EMS academy. He is the lead instructor for the Paramedic program. Victor brings a wealth of experience and compassion for teaching. He is enrolled in the Public Safety Administration undergraduate degree program at Charter Oak State College with an anticipated spring 2022 graduation.

If you are interested in helping to support other applicants like Victor who dedicate their lives to public service, please consider donating to the Mark Carr Scholarship Foundation.

Donations to the fund should be sent directly to the school. Monetary donations can be made out to New Britain High School Foundation and in the memo field, please write Mark Carr Scholarship.