Prairie State College alumnus Allan DiCastro has presented the PSC Foundation with a $100,000 gift to cover out-of-pocket tuition and books for graduates of Serena Hills School in Chicago Heights.
The first awards were presented this spring semester. As many as 20 Serena Hills graduates could receive the PSC scholarship.
The gift is given in memory of his sister, Gail Ann DiCastro, who was one of three H-F graduates who died in May 1979. They were on an American Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles when the engine detached causing the plane to crash as it was taking off from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
DiCastro said his sister intended to start classes at PSC in fall 1979 before her untimely death.
“I want the kids from Serena Hills to realize they have the same opportunities that I had,” said DiCastro. “It’s like in the Wizard of Oz – Dorothy always had the power, and so do these kids.
“My mother was waylaid from finishing her degree for many years until she was able to enroll in the nursing program at PSC. I want them to know that it can happen for them too, but they have to go forward, and I am here to help get them started. The GAP Scholarship (Gail Ann Prize) will help fill the gaps so Serena Hills alumni can afford to go to college.”
The gift will benefit students enrolling at PSC from Bloom High School, Homewood-Flossmoor High School and Marian Catholic High School.
“We are extremely grateful for Mr. DiCastro’s gift to Prairie State College,” said PSC President Michael D. Anthony. “This generous donation is an investment into the future of our school and community. It will open up avenues and opportunities for students for years to come.”
“Mr. DiCastro is providing an opportunity for Serena Hills alumni to earn an associate’s degree or a certificate from PSC at no cost to them,” said Deb Havighorst, executive director of Institutional Advancement and the PSC Foundation. “They can choose to further their education by transferring to a four-year college or university or get started on their careers without incurring any debt.”
Current or future PSC students eligible for the scholarship can contact the foundation directly at [email protected].
DiCastro has been gifting donations to Serena Hills School, part of Flossmoor District 161, for several years. In October 2018, he gave $275,000 for a STEAM lab at Serena Hills. At that time, he issued this statement:
“As a kid, I always felt like I was truly seen at Serena Hills, like I could be myself,” he said in the statement. “In challenged neighborhoods, I feel that is not always the case, so I want those kids to know that I see them and that they are seen.”
DiCastro attended Serena Hills from 1967 to 1976 and is now co-founder and executive director of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Art + Practice.
He made a $25,000 donation to District 161 for Blessings in a Backpack. In December, he purchased winter jackets for every student at Serena Hills.
