Daniel J. Moriarty Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship helps keep high school counselor's dream alive

by Elizabeth De Alwis (MediaNews Group) ChicoER.com  06-07-2010

Magalia - One fortunate high school graduate in Magalia recently won a new scholarship honoring the late Ridgeview High School Counselor Daniel Moriarty.

The Daniel J. Moriarty Memorial Scholarship Fund was presented to Shayla Lynn-Marie Contreras at the graduation ceremony last week.

The $2,000 scholarship is for a Ridgeview student to attend Butte College. The student is required to show interest in an academic field of his or her choice and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher to receive $500 per semester for four semesters.

The idea behind the scholarship is to keep Daniel's vision alive for his students to go to college, said Moriarty's widow, Abbie Moriarty. Her husband was a counselor for more than 30 years, working at Ridgeview and also Paradise High School.

"He was an amazing counselor," she said.

Daniel lost his battle with cancer nine months ago. But while he was sick, Abbie Moriarty said she thought of what was most important to him, and she wanted to do something to honor him. Before he died, she was able to tell him that she planned to start a scholarship in his name for Ridgeview students to attend college.

Since then, she has received "a tremendous outpouring of support."

She worked with Ridgeview Principal Jeff Marcus to write the scholarship application, and the staff narrowed down potential recipients to two candidates. Abbie made the final selection.

She hopes this will be an ongoing scholarship, offered to a student each year. On Oct. 16, she plans to hold a golf tournament to raise additional funds. She already has an anonymous donor who will match the proceeds up to $5,000. The goal is to raise $60,000. For more information, visit http://www.buttefoundation.org

Learn how you can contribute to the Daniel J. Moriarty Memorial Scholarship Fund >