The Vlahakis Scholarship ("My Sister Penny")

About the Scholarship

The Holy Trinity Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the creation of The Vlahakis Scholarship (“My Sister Penny Award”). The Award, intended to memorialize Penny Vlahakis Cherpes and her long held values, including education, will be given out annually in July for the ensuing academic year beginning in the Fall. The award was established by Nick & Kimi Vlahakis in January, 2022

About Penny

(By Nick Vlahakis) My sister, Penny Vlahakis Cherpes, passed away in 2020 at the age of 81. She was a smart, beautiful, funny, and caring sister who had a huge influence on my life and whatever success I may have achieved. Our dad died in 1952…I was 4, my other sister, Georgia, was 6, and Penny was 13. Penny helped our mom maintain during those difficult years, with all the family needs  with 3 young children, even though she was only in her first year as a teenager. I will never forget that!

About the Award

This Scholarship (administered through Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Pittsburgh, PA) is  intended to memorialize her and to advance many of her strongly held values, particularly regarding education. The Scholarship will be awarded annually in July for the ensuing academic calendar in the fall of that same year in the amount of $2,500.

Application Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be a high school senior entering college freshman year or a college freshman entering college sophomore year.
• Have a current high school or college GPA of 2.75 or greater.
• Be a member in good standing of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Pittsburgh, PA, for a minimum of 2 years.
• Complete an essay (400 words minimum, 500 maximum) addressing the following prompt: Write a reflection on the positive and specific personal impacts that your family and the Orthodox Church have had on your life.

How to Apply

For a fillable PDF application form, click here.

Application Deadline

Application form and all related documents must be submitted by June 15 each year to scholarships@HolyTrinityPgh.org.