Scholarship Information
The Matthew James Cunningham Memorial Scholarship was established in 2002 to honor and continue Matthew’s legacy and support Environmental Science majors in Western Pennsylvania. The scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating senior at the Butler Area High School, who plans to major in one of the Environmental Sciences. It is administered by The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the scholarship is permanently endowed at The Pittsburgh Foundation to award a minimum of $1000 annually.
For information on applying, please contact the Butler Senior High School Guidance Counselors Office.
To make a donation, please send a check payable to:
The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc.
In the memo line: Matthew Cunningham Memorial Scholarship Fund.
110 Campus Lane
Butler, PA 16001
Matthew’s biography
Matthew was born September 30, 1975 in Butler, PA. He graduated from Butler Senior High School in 1994, where he was active in intramural sports and the Environmental and Outdoor Clubs. He was a member of the National Honor Society and the varsity tennis team. He was also listed in “Who’s Who of American High School Students” three consecutive years and received the Presidential Academic Fitness Award numerous times.
After graduating from high school, Matthew attended Penn State University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental and Renewable Resource Economics in 1999 and was a consistent Dean’s List student. He was active in the Environmental Economics Club, Eco-Action, and the PSU Adopt-A- Highway program. During the summer months, he was a volunteer fireman and worked at North Pittsburgh Telephone Company.
After graduating from Penn State he attended Law School at the University of California – Davis. Before starting law school, he worked as a volunteer for the Legal Aid Society/Employment Law Center and the Earth Island Institute in San Francisco. While at the Earth Island Institute, he co-authored a report, “Drilling to Disaster” for the Bluewater Network. He worked to support numerous causes that he believed in, including, legal representation for those who cannot afford it, greater use of renewable resources, and animal rights. He was a poet, writer and musician.
On December 2, 2001, Matthew tragically died as a result of a brain aneurysm. He gave the gift of life through organ/tissue donation.
Matthew Cunningham Memorial Scholarship Fund 