Barbara Coyer Caraccioli and Edward Patrick Caraccioli memorial Scholarship

This perpetual scholarship has been established through the Caraccioli Family Trust in honor of Edward and Barbara Caraccioli and is awarded every other year to a deserving student pursuing a career in teaching during the student’s junior year, to be renewed for the student’s senior year, in the hope that it will inspire that young teacher to excel to once unimaginable heights as they set out to teach and inspire the next generation of students. Though open to all students majoring in teaching at the elementary or secondary level in New York State, consideration will be given to students from Staten Island or Oswego who desire to remain in the Oswego area to teach, with preference being given to a graduate of the Oswego City School District.

Edward P. Caraccioli ‘54 was a 17-year-old kid from Staten Island who arrived at Oswego State Teacher’s College in 1950 with a suitcase of clothes and a desire to learn to become a teacher. During his time at Oswego State, he met a local girl, Barbara A. Coyer, who attended the college for a brief time before the couple decided to marry and raise a family. Drafted into the Korean War immediately upon graduating, Ed’s dream of teaching was deferred until his return and then made possible with the assistance of the GI Bill, which provided financial assistance to veterans returning to school after serving their country. Mr. Caraccioli used that money to obtain his advanced teaching certificates and became an elementary school teacher, then a school administrator with the Oswego City School District, first as principal of Fitzhugh Park School before retiring as the District’s Director of Planning and Development. All the while, Barbara and Edward raised seven children (two of whom graduated from SUNY-Oswego and continued the legacy of teaching students) and were firmly ensconced in the Oswego community during their lifetimes.

To qualify for this award, a student must:
• Be a matriculated student in one of the School of Education teacher education programs, for grades K-12.
• The student will apply in their sophomore year for an award to be received the following academic year.
• Be from a family that is considered middle class. For the purpose of this scholarship, the socioeconomic class standing is defined as students who are not eligible for a Pell grant, but who have to take on considerable loans based on the family’s overall income—generally having and Expected Family Income with the range of $6,207 – $12,000.
• First preference is for student to be from Oswego, NY who graduated from the Oswego City School District. The hope is that this student has plans to stay in Oswego County for their teaching career.
• Second preference, if no student from Oswego, NY who graduated from the Oswego City School District meets the criteria, then a student from Staten Island, NY who meets the criteria should be considered next.
• This scholarship is renewable for up to a total of 1 year if a student is in good academic standing and continues to meet all other criteria.