Savannah Christie wins 2016 Strome Scholarship

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WARSAW — Savannah Christie is the 2016 Strome Scholarship winner.

Warsaw High School's annual Strome Scholarship presentation was Thursday and it came down to five student finalists.

They included Savannah Christie, Bridget Cross, Morgan Hoffman, Kathryn MacConnell, and Christopher Miller. The number was whittled down from 13 original applicants.

The decision wasn't easy for the Strome scholarship committee.

In fact, Thomas D'Angelo, who operates Campus Auxiliary Services at SUNY Geneseo, said it came down to "splitting hairs."

John Gillen, of Gillen and Wellman Surveyors, and who also the leads the panel, said the decision was not unanimous. He added that there is a lot of deliberation regarding the decision.

"We all have to hash it out," he said.

This year also marks the scholarship's 20th award.

It began back in 1995 with the first award given out in 1996.

The scholarship was established by Mark Strome, a member of Warsaw's Class of 1974 who donated a $1 million fund to The Wyoming Foundation for students planning on attending a four-year college after high school.

A unique aspect of the scholarship is that it is not designed for the school valedictorian. In fact, Gillen said the award has never gone to a valedictorian.

Although the selection involves no specific criteria, the panel likes to see students who are challenging themselves with extracurricular activities, advanced courses, and similar hard work.

And Christie fit the bill.

Christie is a member of the drama club, model UN, and French Club. She's also class secretary and also dances outside of school.

"I'm shocked" Christie said of how she felt after hearing her name called. "It took me a while to process that it was actually happening."

Christie added that winning brought on some mixed emotions. She and the other finalists are such good friends that they all wanted to see each other win.

"Having one of our friends win is great," Cross said.

Miller added that the process is so thorough that "you know they'll make the right decision."

Christie added that the weight of the award hasn't quite hit her yet.

"It's still sinking in," she said.

After graduation, Christie is moving on to Russel Sage College in Troy, N.Y. She plans to study biology there and hopes to attend medical school after graduating.

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