Justin Sheftel Memorial
Scholarship Award
Since 2006 there have been two scholarships awarded to a graduating boy and girl from Parkland High School. In 2006 the original amount was $2,500 (plus $500 for three years in school) granted to each scholarship winner. In 2007 two $5,000 scholarships were awarded. The good news is that in 2008 due to the success of the softball tournament we were able to award $7,500 to the two winners and have continued that level of award for 2009-2018.
From 2006 to 2021 we have awarded $230,000 in scholarships. We are very proud of our scholarship winners and their accomplishments, they participate when they can in the tournament, either as a player, volunteer, or captain of a team.
In 2022 we will be awarding 3 scholarships of $7,500 to seniors at Parkland, and the Allentown School District.
One of Justin’s best friends, Alex Ullman, presented the scholarship in 2007, and put into words the type of candidate that would best meet the qualifications. The following is an excerpt from his speech. “This award is an un-common award. What makes this scholarship unique is that when looking for the most deserving candidate, one must take a step back and recite the acronym “WWJD”- What Would Justin Do? He worked hard in everything he did and received good grades, Sat scores, but it didn’t stop there. He worked hard for everything, and even if he wasn’t a natural, he worked to develop his skills- not only in sports but also in all aspects of life. He was the first of my friends to ever hold a paying job. The Justin Sheftel Memorial Scholarship rewards those individuals who have the humility to be a team player, and yet possess the passion to keep on going even when the best is out there playing.”
– 2005 Emmaus High School Graduate, Univ. of Penn Graduate
Ryan Schmidt, a dear friend of Justin’s added this, “when I think of Justin I think of a selfless individual, willing to sacrifice for the greater good, a friend who you could trust that you knew would be there when you needed him. I know he was never the star athlete but he was someone with great passion and drive for what he loved and believed in. He was someone that earned the respect of his peers through hard work.”
– 2005 Parkland Graduate, Ursinus College Graduate