The Pine Bush Odyssey of the Mind program proudly honors one of our own, Phyllis Elaine Greco, with a memorial scholarship in her name.  Ms. Greco,  who passed away on June 4, 2021 after a courageous battle with cancer, was a Pine Bush art teacher for 30 years, many of those also spent coaching Odyssey of the Mind teams. 

 

The $500 Elaine Greco Creative Spirit Award is a competitive scholarship designed to honor the spirit in which Pine Bush creative problem-solving teams are encouraged to compete.  It will be awarded to a graduating senior who has participated in the Pine Bush Odyssey of the Mind program for a minimum of five years. 

 

 

Qualified candidates will submit an application and essay about their experience with the program to the scholarship committee, as well as letters of reference from their past coaches. The recipient will be announced at the program’s end-of-season gala in June.

 

Ms. Greco’s vision of the program was one where creatively-talented students could learn the life skills afforded to athletic teams.  As one of our most successful coaches, she always loved winning, but only if the path to excellence was paved with honesty and hard work in the spirit of competition.  She believed that every coaching decision needed to be made with an eye on what the students would learn from their choices. She used her wide array of talent and skills in the art world to teach her team members how to make beautiful sets, props, and costumes out of the most ordinary of materials.  We are honored to have the blessing and support for this scholarship from Elaine’s family, including her two daughters, Belinda and Kimberly Warren.  

 

A scholarship fund has been established for any donations you wish to make.  Checks can be made payable to Pine Bush Central Schools, and forwarded to the district’s Odyssey of the Mind Coordinator, Lori Stapleton, at Pakanasink Elementary School, P.O. Box 148 Route 302, Circleville, NY 10919.  Questions about the scholarship may be directed to Ms. Stapleton via email at lorraine.stapleton@pinebushschools.org.

 

We thank you for your support in allowing us to honor Elaine’s memory with this scholarship.  We know she would be delighted that her memory is living on in the spirit of the program she loved so much.