Utica schools students receive scholarships from Christian Financial Credit Union – C&G Newspapers
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By: Sarah Wright | Shelby-Utica News | Published September 17, 2025
LEFT: Lilly Zuzga. RIGHT: Sean Mondello
UTICA — Two students from Utica Community Schools were among the fifteen high school seniors who received scholarships from Christian Financial Credit Union’s scholarship programs.
Christian Financial Credit Union began more than 75 years ago as St. Jude Parish Credit Union in Detroit and has since grown to serve more than 60,000 members.
Christian Financial Credit Union has awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarships through its programs, the Bathanti-D’Agostino Memorial Scholarship and the Catholic School Scholarship program. Scholarship recipients from both programs were chosen based on academic excellence, leadership and community involvement.
“We were incredibly impressed by the quality and thoughtfulness of this year’s scholarship applications,” Christine Quitter, vice president of community outreach at Christian Financial, said in a press release. “Selecting the recipients was a challenging task, as each student demonstrated exceptional promise. We’re confident they will go on to make meaningful contributions in their chosen paths, and we’re proud to support them on their journey.”
The Bathanti-D’Agostino Memorial Scholarship “honors Christian Financial’s founding pioneers and promotes students who demonstrate strong academic achievements and community involvement,” according to a press release. Applicants submitted transcripts, letters of recommendation, a resume and an essay about how they live out the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People.” Ten $750 scholarships were awarded, which included Lilly Zuzga, of Eisenhower High School, and Sean Mondello, of Utica High School.
“We are incredibly proud of Lilly Zuzga for being selected as the recipient of the Bathanti-D’Agostino Memorial Scholarship from Christian Financial Credit Union,” Brandon Manzella, Eisenhower High School principal, said in an email. “Lilly’s dedication to her academics, leadership, and community involvement truly embody the spirit of this award. Her hard work and character make her more than deserving of this honor. We’d also like to extend our sincere thanks to Christian Financial Credit Union for their continued investment in students’ futures and for recognizing outstanding young individuals like Lilly.”
“We are extremely proud of Sean and believe he is incredibly deserving of this scholarship,” Tim Youngblood, Utica High School principal, said in an email. ”Sean graduated Summa Cum Laude, was an AP Scholar, member of NHS and a very important part of our award winning Band program. Sean will do great things in the future and we cannot wait to find out what those are.”
Other recipients include Jack DePerro, of Fraser High School; Navita Lewis, of Lakeview High School; Adyson Tomaszycki, of Anchor Bay High School; Uma Ludwig, of Center Line High School; homeschool student Henry David Buss; Shaun Gianino, of Lincoln High School; Rachel Korson, of Stoney Creek High School; and Ava White, of Renaissance High School.
The Catholic School Scholarship program awarded five $500 scholarships to students from local Catholic High Schools. Recipients were selected by their schools for academic excellence, leadership and character. The selected students included A’lana Osborne, of Notre Dame Preparatory School; Raphael Ayoungang Tsakem, of Detroit Catholic Central High School; Evonna Karam, of Regina High School; Lorenzo Merpi, of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School; and Vianna Giorgis, of De La Salle Collegiate High School.
For more information, visit christianfinancialcu.com.
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