Misericordia University Selects Carney and O'Brien Awards as 2025 Honored Scholarships

Misericordia University Selects Carney and O'Brien Awards as 2025 Honored Scholarships

DALLAS, PA - In recognition of the impact scholarship philanthropy has on the lives of students, Misericordia University has named two scholarships the "Honored Scholarships" for 2025. The Bridget Carney Scholarship and the F.J. O'Brien Family Campus Ministry Servant Leadership Scholarship are symbolic of the more than 300 scholarships Misericordia awards each year. The scholarships and their benefactor, alumna Helen Teresa O'Brien, of Kingston, Class of 1968, were recognized at a luncheon hosted by President Daniel J. Myers, Ph.D., on April 23.

O'Brien's 31 years as a family and consumer sciences teacher and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America advisor in the Crestwood School District along with many years of caregiving for family and friends, and her strong Catholic faith taught her the importance of servant leadership. She continues to inspire young lives serving as the benefactor for the two endowed scholarships. 

The Bridget Carney Scholarship was established by O'Brien's great uncle James Kearney, M.D. in 1972 in honor of his mother, Bridget Hughes Carney. It is awarded annually with preference given to students whose parents are or were members of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish, Kingston. 

According to O'Brien, when the Sisters of Mercy came to the Wyoming Valley in 1875 to serve the impoverished, sick, and uneducated, they found many Irish Catholic families like the Carneys who greatly benefited from the founding of Misericordia. Two of Bridget Carney's grandchildren became Sisters of Mercy. Two were employed for many years at the college and at least nine of her family members graduated from MU between 1935 and 1970. Dr. Kearney's endowment has helped ensure that local students are afforded the same opportunities that his family members enjoyed, which O'Brien gladly supports. One of those descendants, alumna Mary Dwyer Curley, Class of 1962, joined O'Brien at the luncheon. 

The second award, the F.J. O'Brien Family Campus Ministry Servant Leadership Scholarship, is named in memory of Helen T. O'Brien's paternal grandparents, the late Francis J. and Bridget Carney O'Brien. Awarded annually, it helps cover travel costs and housing for students wishing to attend the Dublin Young Mercy Leaders Conference held every two years in Ireland, or do service through Misericordia's Office for Mission, Ministry, and Service, formerly known as Campus Ministry. "My greatest hope is to perpetuate the tenet of service fostered by the Sisters of Mercy and make it easier for future Misericordia students to share their time and talent with those who need it most across the U.S. and around the world," O'Brien explained. 

Four of the F.J. O'Brien Family Campus Ministry Servant Leadership Scholarship recipients were among the guests at the luncheon: senior Siwar Abdo of Trucksville, sophomore Sahara Perez of Old Forge, senior Karla Carrasco and sophomore Keyla Carrasco, both of Bartonsville. 

President Myers reflected on the importance of scholarship support in enabling students at Misericordia to pursue their educational and professional dreams without financial burden. "I salute Helen T. O'Brien's leadership in nurturing the next generation of Misericordia leaders and change makers by helping them experience what it feels like to spread the mission of mercy to those most in need." 

O'Brien earned her B.S. degree in home economics from Misericordia in 1968, and her M.S. degree in environmental relations at Penn State University. She completed certification in cooperative education, as well as additional courses in computer technology, and family consumer sciences (FCS) at Cornell, Temple, and Wilkes Universities. Retiring from Crestwood in 2001, Helen continued for several years supervising FCS student teachers part-time for Marywood University. Today, she serves as a Eucharistic minister and is active in the St. Ignatius Loyola Parish, having accompanied the parish youth group on two trips serving Habitat for Humanity in West Virginia. She also volunteers with several non-profit community organizations, including the Back Mountain Bloomers Garden Club. An active and philanthropic Misericordia alumna, O'Brien is also a Mercy Associate. 

Individuals who would like to contribute to the Bridget Carney and F.J. O'Brien Family Campus Ministry Servant Leadership scholarships are invited to click here, or contact Joe Musto in the Misericordia Advancement Office (570) 674-6356.