2017 Karan Barker Memorial Scholarship Recipients

Dec 6, 2017 | DS, Member Services, RAHB News | 0 comments

Congratulations to these sons and daughters of RAHB members and RAHB staff who were awarded $2,000 Karan Barker Memorial Scholarships at the RAHB Annual Election Meeting on December 5, 2017!

Mark Bertone is the son of RAHB staff member Cathy Sorbara.  Mark is a graduate of St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic High School and he is now attending McMaster University in the Honours Bachelor program in Biology, with a view to doing post graduate work in Medicine to become a doctor.

Mark was very active in his high school with fundraising events such as the Terry Fox Run and pilgrimage walks to raise funds for Third World countries. He was a school library volunteer after school hours.  In the community, Mark is an active member of his church, and was an altar server for six years. In 2013, he volunteered as a team leader in the church’s summer camp. He also served as assistant coach in the Mount Hamilton Youth Club and volunteered as a companion/sitter for an elderly woman.

Seth Carter is the son of Derek Carter of RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc. Seth graduated from Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School and is now attending McMaster to pursue a career in nursing and he is hoping to specialize in the surgical field.

In high school, Seth assisted Grade 1 and 2 students in reading, writing and mathematics at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Elementary School. He was elected to the first-ever Bishop Tonnos Secondary School Prefect Council. He also tutored all grades, ran school-wide events such as Grade 9 Day, introduced parents and new students to the school, and mentored students who had difficulty in becoming part of the Bishop Tonnos community. He also volunteered at the Bishop Tonnos annual We Scare Hunger event. Outside of school, Seth volunteered at Rygel Homes for Community Living and canvassed for the Heart and Stroke Association.

Lianna Genovese is the daughter of Joe Genovese of Coldwell Banker Community Professionals. Lianna graduated from St. Thomas Moore Catholic Secondary School and is now attending McMaster University in the Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Science faculty. Her long-term goal is to design prosthetics and create medical technology advancements, which she hopes would be used in third world countries.

At school, Lianna served as Prefect and Senior School Leader, organized fundraisers, participated in the Best Buddies activities and helped integrate grade nine students into the school. She also volunteered in the breakfast program and was the leader and representative of Knight Runners, for which she organized community charity runs, collected charitable donations and raised school awareness of various causes.  Outside of school, Lianna canvassed for the Heart & Stroke Association.

Vito Manchisi is the son of Leo Manchisi of Century 21 Miller Real Estate. Vito is a graduate of Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School and is now attending Western University, where he is taking Kinesiology with a view to working in sports therapy.

Vito is a sports enthusiast – he played high school soccer and football as well as Grade 9 basketball; helped run local hockey tournaments and elementary track meets, played in Burlington’s Rep soccer program and volunteered at Allstar Sports Camp for two years. In addition to his sports activities, Vito was also a mentor who helped grade nine students transition into high school.

Alyssia Silenzi is the daughter of Mark Silenzi of RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc.  Alyssia graduated from Saint Thomas More Catholic Secondary School and is now attending the Nursing program at Brock University.

In high school, Alyssia was part of multiple clubs, activities and volunteer efforts. She is particularly proud of her involvement with the Read More Book Club, for which she was in charge of the “Read More Succeed More Book Drive” for Ronald McDonald House Hamilton. Alyssia was also involved in the Halloween 4 Hunger campaign and the school’s “Christmas Miracle” campaign.

Alyssia was the lead flute player in the Saint Thomas More concert band, and a cast member in the school’s production of “Footloose”. Outside of school, Alyssia volunteered at the Juravinski Hospital and was a volunteer swim instructor at a City of Hamilton pool.

The Karan Barker Memorial Scholarship is named for Karan Barker, a former executive officer of the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington. Karan was an outstanding EO, winning awards from both OREA and CREA in recognition of her contributions to our association and the real estate profession.

Karan Barker Scholarships are presented each year to students who are children or grandchildren of RAHB members or RAHB staff. All recipients are attending or will be attending university or college.These young people have demonstrated academic excellence and a high level of involvement in their school or the community.

To date, $96,500 has been awarded to 70 students since the inception of the Scholarships in 2001.