Johnston Lions award college scholarships

It’s been one of Joseph Swift’s most favorite duties during his ongoing tenure as president of the Johnston Lions Club.

It’s also a special and memorial named in honor of the late Lion Armand Muto, who loved the non-profit organization whose credo is helping children who need eyeglasses, seniors who don’t have enough to eat, and helps people most members will never meet.

It’s also a terrific tradition that has helped dozens of Johnston residents fund their post secondary educations.

Officially, it’s the Johnston Lions Club’s Armand Muto Scholarships that date back to 1985 and continues to average between $4,500 and $6,000 in grants.

“We are again real, real proud to award five scholarships to deserving and qualifying students,” Swift said Monday. “Our scholarships are presented to students who will attend college this fall.”

The 2017 Johnston Lions Club Scholarships have been awarded to Katerina Athaide, who will attend the University of New Haven in Connecticut; Mackenzie Carroll, who will attend Hofstra University in New York; and Justin Gonsalves, who will enroll at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic.

Swift also said that Austin Gosetti, who attends Bryant University in Smithfield and Laura Wilson, who’ll begin her college studies at Brown University in September, completed the list of this year’s scholarship honorees.

“These all important grants are primarily from the Johnston Lions Club Armand Muto Scholarship Fund,” Swift explained. “It’s a two-fold program; first, to recognize and keep alive a great Lions member Armand Muto’s name and memory while also maintaining a terrific tradition that helps college-bound Johnston residents.”

Swift explained that the Rhode Island Foundation manages the fund and each year the Johnston Lions Club awards scholarships to eligible applicants. He said that applicants must be Johnston residents that plan to attend a higher education institution.

Unlike most scholarships, the Armand Muto Scholarships are renewable for award recipients through their senior year of college. The awards are also made possible by funds raised by the Johnston Lions Club through various fund-raising events as well as interest secured from its investment with the Rhode Island Foundation.

“We are a small service club as far as memberships are concerned,” said Swift. “We take great pride in giving back to the community and since we began the scholarship program in 1985, the Johnston Lions Club has presented over $140,000 in college grants.”