McCann Recognizes Class of 2015 RPI Scholarship Recipient

RPI Scholarship Award winner Andrew Corsi, left, poses with McCann Principal Justin Kratz at Thursday's School Committee meeting.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — McCann Technical School senior Andrew Corsi has been awarded the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Scholarship Award.

During Thursday night's McCann School Committee meeting, Corsi was awarded the prestigious award in front of his family and the School Committee.

"Andrew is one of our top-notch students, and we are very proud of him and his accomplishments over the past four years," Principal Justin Kratz said.

Like many other schools, McCann has a relationship with RPI. Every year, one student who has excelled in math and science at the school is selected by a screening process conducted by the guidance department and the principal.

If Corsi decides to apply to RPI and is accepted, he will receive, at a minimum, $15,000 a year for four years.

Kratz said Corsi studies information technology and is ranked seventh in his class with a grade-point average of 3.73. He added that Corsi runs cross country, is a member of the McCann pre-engineering program Project Lead the Way, and participates in honors and advanced placement courses.

"It's a very prestigious and well-deserved award, and … handling that course load with a 3.73 is certainly no small feat," Kratz said.

The principal said he received multiple emails from Corsi's teachers and was "bombarded with emails glowing with recommendations."

"They said he is a dedicated, driven student looking forward to a future in engineering, so this is a very fitting award for him," Kratz said. "He is a student of great character as well as a high achiever."

Committee member Daniel Maloney congratulated Corsi and said he is a role model for underclassmen at McCann.

"When the freshmen come in, you help sets the tone … when the freshmen come in, it starts the process over again," he said. "In another four years another student may have you to thank for setting such a good example."

Corsi said he plans to apply to RPI and is thankful for the education he received at McCann.

"I would like to say how honored I am to have been selected for this award. I am very interested in applying to RPI, and if I were to be accepted, this would greatly help me pay off the tuition. I couldn't have done it without the assistance and the knowledge of my teachers, and I wouldn't be here tonight without them," Corsi said.

Kratz said Corsi represents the top quality of student McCann produces.

"This is just another example of the great work that our students do. Andrew is fantastic and we have been very lucky to have him here for the past four years," he said. "We are looking forward to hearing glowing reports from him in the future."

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