McKee High School Scholarship

On June 26th, 2002, McKee High School held its graduation ceremonies. The school announced its first annual Lt. Chuck Margiotta Memorial Scholarship. I was teaching at McKee H.S. at the time and was honored to be asked to present the scholarship winner. Here is the presentation from those ceremonies:November 20, 2001

I’m not sure who first proposed the idea of honoring my brother by establishing a scholarship award in his name, but I would like to thank that person. I would then like to thank our Principal, Linda Waite for giving her blessing and approval. And finally I would like to thank the faculty, the administration, staff and the PTA for their generous contributions, which made this scholarship award possible.

Chuck Margiotta was a luitenent on the NYC Fire Department for 20 years. He was killed on September 11th. He pursued all his dreams through hard work and passion. He was a stuntman and actor, a private investigator, avid hunter and outdoorsman, and athlete. He graduated from Brown University and was proud to be a NYC schoolteacher for over 20 years. More importantly, he was a father, son, husband, and my brother.

Chuck Margiotta was the type of person who would pick you first for a basketball game if he thought others would pick you last. He fought for the underdog, protected the weak, and had a respect for hard work. The recipient of the Lt. Chuck Margiotta Scholarship award exhibits many of these same qualities. Having taught this student, I can say that I personally witnessed acts of compassion as well as a respect for students of all levels of ability. This student has set goals and met them through countless hours of study and hard work. Through 4 years at McKee HS, this student has managed to quietly gain the admiration and respect of both teachers and classmates alike….and has always done so with a smile.
My brother would be proud to have this student be the recipient of a scholarship that bears his name. And I am proud to present it.

…and the student is Sabrina Braxton.

Mike Margiotta