2024 Winner of the
Division's Special Casey - Burns Scholarship

Grace Catherine Burns of Yardley, PA will be graduating from Our Lady of Grace Catholic School where she serves as Student Council President. In the fall, she will attend Nazareth Academy High School. Grace is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, plays the flute in the school band, and is an altar server during school masses. Outside of school, Grace is an accomplished Irish dancer with the Ryan-Kilcoyne School of Irish Dance. She currently competes locally, regionally, and internationally. Grace plays soccer for the 2010 YMS Premier Force and enjoys representing OLG in both CYO basketball and track. She loves to volunteer her time to help others, cook, ski, travel to new places for Irish dance and soccer, and spend time with her family at the shore during the summer months. With Irish roots in Donegal, Derry, Tipperary, and Clare, Grace is honored and thankful to be recognized by the AOH as a recipient of their generous scholarship!

My name is Rosie Shanley Cahill and I am a graduate of St. Ignatius of Antioch School and the Bucks County Montessori Charter School.  In the fall of 2024, I shall be attending Villa Joseph Marie High School.  Ever since the third grade, I have played CYO basketball for St. Ignatius making the Region 19 All Star team twice, including this past year.  I have also participated in the CYO Region 19 Track and Field for St. Ignatius and have won many medals and have made it to the AOP Championships at Franklin Field in Philadelphia for the last two consecutive years.  I have also played CYO Volleyball for St. Ignatius and have enjoyed playing tennis for many years.  In addition, I started dancing for Downstage Center at an early age and have also danced, competed and won competitions with the Nicholl School of Irish Dance, I have also been able to march and dance with that school in many St. Patrick’s Day Parades, including the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  My family is very important to me.  I am the middle child of 7 children, my father is an immigrant from Ireland and my mother’s family is from strong Irish descendants with Irish ancestors dating back to before the revolutionary war, including early settlers of Pennsylvania.  I look forward to attending Villa Joseph Marie and I am very thankful to the AOH for offering participation to this important scholarship contest.  With the AOH offering opportunities like this, I have been able to further research my Irish roots in connection with the contest subject and I look forward to maintaining my family’s Irish heritage.  I am grateful to the AOH and recognize how important it is to support an organization like the AOH in our community!

Born at Fort Hood, Texas, to Captain Patrick and Mrs. Nadia Dunn, Natalie Dunn has been a resident of Bucks County since the age of one. She is a 2024 graduate of St. Andrew Catholic School in Newtown where she was a member of the National Junior Honor Society and achieved academic honors over the past three years. Natalie is also a dancer and an athlete. She has been playing soccer for CRUSA for ten years and ran track for St. Andrew’s CYO Track and Field team. Natalie has also been dancing for ten years in ballet, jazz, and contemporary classes. Natalie will be attending Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Flourtown this Fall. She hopes to study Law and Government in college and pursue a career in those fields.

James McGinley proudly belongs to a big Irish, Catholic family.  He is a 2024 graduate of Saint Andrew School, where he was a member of the National Junior Honor Society, the Ministry Team, Future Cities Engineering Club, Yearbook Committee, and had a lead role in the 8th grade play.  Jim has been an altar server at Saint Andrew Church for four years and is currently a member of the parish’s Special Ceremonies Crew, serving the parish’s special masses and events.  He plays A.A.U. and C.Y.O. basketball and soccer.  Jimmy also volunteers with the Notre Dame Club of Philadelphia, Rise Against Hunger, and the Saint Andrew Little Dribblers.  He is excited to attend Holy Ghost Preparatory School in the Fall.

Jack Curran Walsh is a recent graduate of Our Lady of Grace School. Jack will be attending Holy Ghost Prep in the fall, joining his older brother Thomas, who is a junior. He also has two younger brothers at home, Aiden and Jude. At Our Lady of Grace Jack serves as a middle school safety, a member of the CYO soccer and basketball teams, and assists at Church as an alter server. Jack and his brothers volunteer their time with The Travis Manion Foundation. He also joins his dad and grandfather at HOPE 101 assisting The AOH Division 5 . Much of Jack’s free time is spent on the soccer field. He is a member of the 2010 YMS Premier United, where he’s had the opportunity to travel the US competing in the United States Youth Soccer National League. When not playing soccer Jack loves to snowboard, play lacrosse, travel, and be at the Jersey Shore with his cousins. Jack is grateful to the AOH for this scholarship, it has given him an opportunity to learn more about his extended Irish Catholic family who come from Mayo, Cork, Donegal, & Tyrone.