The Carcaterra Family Scholarship

As many of you know, Cardinal Hayes High School is a very special place for my family. My father, Lawrence Larry Carcaterra - aka Mr. Carc - was a 1966 graduate of Cardinal Hayes. He was the first Carcaterra man to graduate High School and did so with flying colors, graduating with a class rank of #6 (out of 600 classmates). He went on to earn a full academic scholarship to Fordham University and then became a teacher in the South Bronx for 33 years until his retirement nearly two decades ago. My dad has been an exceptional father, mentor, friend, cooking advisor, my Best Man, and the ultimate lacrosse fan. But it all started at Hayes. My dad and his sister grew up in subsidized housing in the Marble Hill section of the Bronx with little to no resources. When he enrolled at Cardinal Hayes his life went on a different path and for that, we are grateful and blessed today.

My Dad’s health has diminished in these last years, but he approaches each day with integrity and pride, eager to see and hear from his friends and loved ones. The time is now for me to dedicate the time and resources towards something that would give him immense pride.

To that end, I am very excited to announce the creation of the Carcaterra Family Scholarship which will be provided towards the annual cost for a student to attend Cardinal Hayes High School. This scholarship is a NFA (Named Financial Assistance) Scholarship which will be coordinated through Cardinal Hayes, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, with all donations being tax deductible.

With the assistance of Bronx Lacrosse, a Bronx based not-for-profit that is at the forefront of inner-city lacrosse development, the Carcaterra Family Scholarship will source middle school student-athlete candidates for High School application to Cardinal Hayes. The goal is to strengthen the bridge between local members of the lacrosse community and Cardinal Hayes High School. For more on Bronx Lacrosse, please vise the website: https://bronxlacrosse.org/.

The total enrollment cost (including food, technology and fees) is $9,900. While many incoming students receive aid, there will still be cost balances in which the scholarship fund will offset with as many student-athletes as possible. The dream is to one day underwrite the entire roster! Amanda and I just put forth a personal donation to start the campaign which gives us a great start to help in 2022-2023 school year, but we won’t stop until we can raise enough money to support as many student athletes as possible every year the scholarship is available.

Founded in 1941, Cardinal Hayes High School located within the 15th Congressional in the Bronx, NY. 34% of the population of the 15th District live below the poverty line and the household incomes are less than half of the national average. 66% of the population uses English as a second language and about the same percentage earn a High School degree or higher. The members of this community need our help and Cardinal Hayes serves them with the highest standard. Cardinal Hayes has become an exceptional place for education, particularly for student-athletes: 9 Academic Departments, 19 Honors Classes, 16:1 Student/Teacher ratio, and 24 Sports Teams. Within the Athletic Department, the Lacrosse Team is a relatively new program that has taken exceptional strides towards its goals of becoming one of the Citys best.

The Mission of Cardinal Hayes High School, a community based in Roman Catholic values, is to inspire diverse young men of the New York City metropolitan area to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens. For more on Cardinal Hayes, please visit the website: cardinalhayes.org.