2026 Foster Memorial Scholarship Winner

Honeoye, NY – June 26, 2026 – This Old Cat has announced the winner of its Foster Memorial Scholarship for 2026. Congratulations to Honeoye Central School graduate Leia McIlwaine-Wood:

“We were delighted to inform Miss McIlwaine-Wood that she has been selected to receive the Foster Memorial Scholarship for academic year 2025-2026 in Honeoye Central School,” Paul Dewey of This Old Cat said. The scholarship was awarded based on Miss McIlwaine-Wood's outstanding academic achievements including maintaining a grade points average (GPA) of 4.0 and membership in National Honor Society (NHS), coupled with her considerable dedication to community service. Miss McIlwaine-Wood plans to pursue an Associate Degree of Applied Science (AAS) in Veterinary Technology.

“This scholarship is aimed at students with a passion for caring for the animals that share our lives,” Dewey added, “Our scholarship committee was in unanimous agreement that she not only 'checked all the boxes' when it came to scholarship qualifications, Miss McIlwaine-Wood also is an excellent candidate for a Veterinary Technician.”

Miss McIlwaine-Wood's passion for animals is rooted in the love and care of her Golden Retriever. “I believe the way I cared for him influenced my decision to consider a career in animal care,” she wrote in her scholarship application essay, “because taking care of him showed me how much a dog or another animal can affect someone's life in such a positive manner.”

As This Old Cat's 2026 Foster Memorial Scholarship winner Miss McIlwaine-Wood had been presented with a brilliant beveled crystal glass Award of Recognition and received a check in the amount of $1,500.00 at this evening's graduation ceremony.

Advocating for the animals has been a core value of Honeoye, NY based This Old Cat, a leading on-line wholesaler of pet angel pins. This scholarship builds on This Old Cat's values, expressing their continued commitment to the animals and the people caring for them. The scholarship is named in memory of a cat named Foster who was rescued in the city of Rochester by Dewey many years ago. “As cats go Foster was a legend among legends,” Dewey said, “living to be 20 years old.” This Old Cat is honoring Foster with this scholarship to remind our community that every animal deserves love and respect – even the special ones such as Foster.

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