MATTHEW KATO 2005 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP (ART)
$1,000 awards to Harold Hillyard and Tina LaRuss.  
Must be a graduating senior residing in the Rush-Henrietta Central School District
with a strong passion for art.

MATTHEW KATO 2005 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP (SCIENCE)
$1,000 awards to Teresa Baybutt and Mark Smith
Must be a graduating senior residing in the Rush-Henrietta Central
School District with a strong passion for science.  

MATTHEW KATO 2005 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
$1,000 award to Marci Bruni.
Must be a graduating senior residing in the Rush-Henrietta Central School District.  
Awarded to a selected student who submitted an essay on the dangers of driving under
the influence of alcohol and/ or drugs.

Good evening. My name is Bernadette Kato and this is my husband Paul.  We are pleased to be here tonight to present
scholarships to a total of 5 students. Each will receive $1000.  These scholarships are given in the spirit of our son, Matthew Kato.  
Matthew would have been a graduating senior this year had his life not been cut short by the carelessness of a drunk driver on July
21, 2004. I know he is pleased with the choices that have been made with the assistance of the Art, Science and Counseling
Departments. Matthew was an intelligent and talented young man who was highly interested in the study of science and art.  These
subjects came easily to him and he led a passionate pursuit of knowledge in both. When considering the rules of eligibility for the
scholarships we decided to forgo the route of the student needing a certain GPA.  Matthew was never concerned about his grades
(even though we were)!  We were unaware of the “behind the scenes” relationships he had with many of his peers.  His life was not
based on scores or being tough.  He seemed to concentrate more on helping people to see that life held hope and promise.  He
wanted each person to know they are loved and believed in their ability to triumph over adversity.  

ART: Matthew spent a lot of his time sketching. He had a collection of books that a budding cartoonist or illustrator would use as
reference. He was always the first one picked when choosing teams for a rousing game of Pictionary at family gatherings. He truly
was the quickest draw in the east!! The first 2 scholarships are being given to one male and one female graduating senior who,
like Matthew, demonstrated a passion for Art. The scholarships are awarded to TINA LARUSSA and HAROLD HILLYARD.

Science: Matthew loved science since he was a young child. As his parents, we have many fond memories of reading and learning
together about all of the creatures of the world and the mysteries of the universe. We visited science museums and aquariums in
many cities.  Had we allowed it, our house would have been filled with every kind of pet imaginable, except for spiders.  He hated
spiders.  When he was younger he would scream like a girl and run. As a young man he got braver and let out a samurai warrior
cry before squashing the 8 legged creature with a tissue and flushed it.  The Matthew Kato Memorial Scholarship for Science is
given to one female and one male graduating senior who demonstrate a passion for science. The scholarships are awarded to
TERESA BAYBUTT and MARK SMITH.

DWI ESSAY: The last scholarship we offer is to a graduating senior who, based on an essay, can demonstrate an understanding of
the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and /or drugs.  14 essays were submitted, making the task to choose just one
difficult.   The essays were well written, informative, passionate, and honest. These young adults show a great understanding of
the social ills that reside in our community. Their insight is beyond their years. This left me with a feeling of hope for future
generations.  Their wisdom will carry on and become greater with passing years.   The recipient of tonight’s scholarship submitted
an essay that was well thought out with not only statistics relating to DWI research data and knowledge of NYS laws, but was
written with a vision of how to move forward, w/ suggestions to raise awareness and change laws to deter future tragedies like that
of Matthew’s death. The essay described her personal grief over the loss of a friend and her continued healing.  The scholarship is
awarded to MARCI BRUNO.
Giving back to the community
Matthew Kato Foundation
Raising Awareness about the impacts of
drinking and driving