News

The Wildcat Foundation has opened the application process for its scholarships for the Class of 2025 at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School.

Applications are being accepted online for the five scholarships the Foundation administers. The deadline for applications is April 9, 2025.

Scholarship applications will be reviewed by the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee in April, with winners being presented at the MASH Senior Awards ceremony on May 22 at the high school.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Foundation Executive Director Jeff Pratt at jpratt@mbgsd.org

The Charles H. Jr. and Jane Eagle Diller Business Scholarship

The Foundation is honored to again work with Charles H. Diller Jr. and Jane Eagle Diller to deliver their $20,000 scholarship to a graduating senior student who desires to pursue business and entrepreneurial goals and obtain a college education.

• The scholarship: This is a $20,000 award; $5,000 paid annually directly to the student’s college or university. The student must meet eligibility criteria to maintain their scholarship for the subsequent three years.
• CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Mr. and Mrs. Diller grew up in south central Pennsylvania and are now residents of Silver Spring Township. Mr. Diller spent most of his professional career working for JLG Industries, Inc., where he held the positions of executive vice president, chief financial officer, and director before retiring. He also served his country as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a Vietnam veteran.

Mrs. Diller is a MASH alumna. After graduation, she focused on raising a family, and she continues to be actively engaged with her church’s youth programs.

The Mechanicsburg Club/Wildcat Foundation Scholarship

The Mechanicsburg Club endowed the Mechanicsburg Club/Wildcat Foundation Scholarship in 2012.

Since then, the Foundation has awarded four $4,000 scholarships annually to students performing any field of study at a 2-year college, 4-year college, community college, or trade school.

• The scholarship: Any MASH senior pursuing higher education (2-year, 4-year, community college or trade school), in any form of study, is eligible to apply for this scholarship. Four $4,000 scholarships will be awarded as a one-time payout directly to the recipient’s school, college, or university.
• CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Established in 1894, the Mechanicsburg Club prides itself in providing for the area’s youth, school, and community programs, senior citizen groups, charities, and many of our community’s special projects.

The Janet B. Wentz English Award

The Janet B. Wentz Award for Outstanding English Student is an annual $5,000 cash award to a graduating senior at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School (MASH) who is about to matriculate at a college or university located anywhere in the United States or District of Columbia.

The award was established to honor Janet B. Wentz, a graduate of Wilson College and Shippensburg University who started her career as a staff writer for the Harrisburg Patriot-News and then taught for 23 years at MASH from 1965 to 1988, where she was coach of the speech team and retired as chairwoman of the English department. She later emerged from retirement to teach English for several additional years at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC). She had a passion for teaching and shared her enthusiasm for the English language while encouraging her students to excel. Her son Douglas Wentz, MASH Class 1976, made a $150,000 contribution upon her passing at age 97 in January 2025 to establish this award program.

• The award: The Janet B. Wentz award for Outstanding English Student is an annual $5,000 cash award to a graduating senior at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School (MASH) who is about to matriculate at a college or university located anywhere in the United States or District of Columbia. 
• CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The Stock & Leader Scholarship

Stock & Leader worked with the Foundation to hand out its first $500 scholarship in 2022 to a senior student planning to pursue a degree in law or education.

For 2023 and now 2024, Foundation board member Gareth Pahowka, an attorney with Stock & Leader’s School Law group, matched the scholarship funds to produce a $1,000 scholarship offer.

• The scholarship: This is a one-time $1,000 award to a student planning to pursue a degree in law or education.
• CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The Larry F. Carey Memorial Military Award

This award comes from the estate of former Upper Allen Township resident Larry F. Carey.

The Larry F. Carey Memorial Military Award will be awarded to one male and one female student each year for the next 10 years who is enlisting in the armed forces. Preference will be given to individuals entering the Navy.

• The award: This is a $500 award to 1 male and 1 female student each year who enlist in the armed forces.
• CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Mr. Carey retired from the Navy as a Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer after 20 years of service. As part of his estate planning, Mr. Carey partnered with the Foundation to establish this scholarship to help graduating students transition into their military enlistments.

The Foundation

Founded in 1998, the nonprofit Wildcat Foundation is an educational foundation that operates under a stated mission to strengthen the educational, cultural, wellness and athletic programs of the Mechanicsburg Area School District (MASD).

It disperses grant funds annually through a competitive grant-making process to aid and support students throughout MASD. The foundation has funded nearly $2,000,000 in funds for programs and projects since 2001.

To learn more about the Wildcat Foundation and how you can become involved as a volunteer, participate in a special event, or make a contribution, contact the foundation office at 717-691-4505, send an email to wildcatfoundation@mbgsd.org, or visit us online at www.wildcatfoundation.org.