Ella O’Heir Garners Kate Bender Scholarship

Kate Bender was a real sweetheart who will never be forgotten by those she worked with and helped in their professional careers. She was widely known around the Huntington School District for the longtime role she played in the personnel office.

For many years, every teacher joining the faculty worked with Mrs. Bender during the hiring process and often later to secure their permanent state certification.

Mrs. Bender’s well-deserved retirement was cut short when she was felled by pancreatic cancer following an exceptionally hard-fought and courageous battle against the terrible disease. She was known for a wicked sense of humor and she could deadpan with the best of them. She never lost her upbeat nature or smile, even in the midst of her health struggle, which was serious.

After Mrs. Bender passed away in December 2017, a scholarship was created in her memory. Her longtime co-workers initially helped fund the award. This year’s Kate Bender Memorial Scholarship Award was presented by her granddaughter, Kayleigh to graduating senior Ella O’Heir. While Ms. Bender eloquently and in a strong voice, she was barely able to contain her emotions, so fierce was the love she had for her grandmother.

Kate Bender “truly epitomized perseverance, patience and positivity and is missed by many,” Ms. Bender told the crowd gathered in the high school auditorium for the senior scholarships and awards ceremony.

The award criteria requires the ultimate recipient to “demonstrate persistence and determination in overcoming or managing some sort of obstacle or challenge.”

Ms. O’Heir is headed to Fairfield University. She has starred on the Blue Devil varsity field hockey and golf teams, participated in clubs and earned top grades. An Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor, she was a member of the Social Studies and Math honor societies. She said the key to her success has staying motivated in all of her classes.

The teenager’s mother passed away when she was only 11 years old. Ms. O’Heir has overcome all of the challenges that come with losing a parent at such an early age and impressively achieved while holding down a part-time job in the village.

This is little doubt that Kate Bender would have been a member of Ms. O’Heir’s fan club. She has been a great teammate and competitor and played key roles on the field hockey and golf teams while taking a long list of Advanced Placement courses.