First County Bank Foundation Accepting Applications for the Richard E. Taber Citizenship Award

January 28, 2021
|In Foundation News, Press Releases
|By Timothy Brown

 

First County Bank Foundation Accepting Applications

for the Richard E. Taber Citizenship Award

 

STAMFORD, CT., January 28, 2021 — The First County Bank Foundation is now accepting applications for the annual Richard E. Taber Citizenship Award. High school seniors can apply by visiting Firstcountybank.com/community/awards-and-scholarships/.

The Richard E. Taber Citizenship Award rewards high school seniors residing in the towns of Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport and surrounding areas of Bridgeport, who are well-rounded citizens. Different from many scholarships that are based on top academic achievement or athletic ability, this scholarship is weighted towards those who demonstrate leadership and caring for their community. The criteria for selection are best defined by “CLASS” Citizenship, Leadership, Academics, Service, and Sportsmanship.

Three $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to graduating high school seniors in our community. The deadline for submitting an application is May 1, 2021. Each recipient will receive a personalized certificate and a check for $5,000 which will be sent directly to the college of acceptance. Decisions on scholarship recipients will be made by the end of May.

The award was named in honor of Richard (“Dick”) E. Taber who retired in 2011 as First County Bank’s Chairman and CEO. It was during Dick’s tenure that the First County Bank Foundation was founded in 2001. “Each year, we look forward to receiving scholarship applications from local Fairfield County high school seniors. Since 2011, we have recognized countless students and we continue to be amazed by their level of commitment to the community.” said Robert J. Granata, president of First County Bank Foundation, chairman and CEO of First County Bank.  “We’re proud to honor Dick’s legacy of volunteerism and community involvement with our scholarship program,” added Granata.  

Candidate Criteria

The recipient of this award must be a high school senior who has been accepted to an accredited two or four-year college or university.  The recipient will be selected without regard to race, sex, religion or creed.  Each candidate must:

  • Be a current resident of Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport or surrounding areas of Bridgeport, and be a graduating high school senior
  • Hold a “B” average or higher during their junior and senior years in high school
  • Provide an admission acceptance document from a two or four-year college or university
  • Be involved in the community
  • Provide reference letters from two individuals not related to the candidate. One letter from each of the following is preferred:
    • High school teacher or counselor
    • Community leader/volunteer program counselor
  • Provide a high school transcript
  • Complete a brief essay (not to exceed 1,000 words) describing how the candidate best fits into the definition of “CLASS” Citizenship, Leadership, Academics, Service, Sportsmanship
  • Complete the online application, available at

Firstcountybank.com/community/awards-and-scholarships/

About First County Bank Foundation

Established in 2001 in honor of the Bank’s 150th anniversary, First County Bank Foundation was created to distribute funds annually to nonprofit organizations that support community and economic development, affordable housing, and programs that support quality of life and educational enrichment for children and families. As a mutual bank with no shareholders, First County Bank considers grants made by the foundation a means of paying dividends back to the local communities it serves.

 

About First County Bank

First County Bank, headquartered in Stamford, Conn. for 170 years, is an independent mutual community bank with 16 branches in Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, Greenwich, Fairfield, New Canaan and Westport offering deposit products, mortgages, wealth management, business banking services, and a full array of digital banking products including mobile and online banking. First County Bank has more than 220 employees, assets in excess of $1.7 billion and is a winner of the Hearst Connecticut Top Workplaces 2020 award. For additional information, please visit www.firstcountybank.com, or follow us @Firstcountybank on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.