Family of Tom Georgalas announces two scholarship opportunities
Warwick. Culinary students, or those who demonstrate “kindness, empathy, and respect” are encouraged to apply.
Warwick /
| 26 Feb 2024 | 12:15
Tom Georgalas, a 2005 graduate of Warwick Valley High School.
The family and friends of the late Thomas A. Georgalas invite Warwick Valley High School seniors to apply for scholarships established in memory of Georgalas.
Georgalas graduated from Warwick Valley High School in 2005 and went on to pursue a career in the culinary arts. At the time of his passing, he had advanced to the position of sous chef at Simon and the Whale, a Manhattan restaurant associated with the Freehand Hotel in midtown Manhattan. While in high school, Georgalas was employed by the Bobolink Farm in Vernon. There he learned wood-fired bread baking and cheese making. It was at Bobolink that he developed a passion for cooking and a keen interest in the farm-to-table movement. As a cook and then sous chef and for a time chef, his goal was to eventually open a restaurant that implemented the “farm-to-table” concept of local sourcing of food and directing commerce to benefit farms in the community.
His family and friends offer The Thomas Georgalas Farm-to-Table Scholarship award to seniors who plan to pursue a culinary career or agricultural career with a focus on the “farm-to-table concept.” The value of the scholarship is $1,000. It is available to Warwick High School seniors continuing onto culinary or agricultural school, or entering the restaurant or food trades from the program at BOCES.
When Georgalas passed away, his family received numerous letters and communications reflecting his consistent kindness to everyone. These messages came from classmates at the Warwick schools that he attended and from co-workers in restaurant kitchens. Because of his reputation for treating everyone with respect and kindness even in the stressful environment of a restaurant kitchen, Georgalas’s family and friends have also created The Thomas A. Georgalas Kindness Award. This $1,000 scholarship for higher education or training is available to seniors who have demonstrated an overall attitude of kindness, empathy, and respect towards their fellow students and their community.
Application forms and more detailed information about the scholarships are available at the Warwick Valley High School guidance office.
