On October 24, 2023, Delbarton Headmaster Fr. Michael Tidd, O.S.B. was honored with the Making A Difference Award at the Tri-County Scholarship Fund (TCSF) 42nd Annual Awards Dinner at the Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains. TCSF's mission is to offer financial aid to students in need at fifty-eight K-12 Catholic and other values-based private schools from other faiths. TCSF has been changing the lives of children since 1981. To date, over 35,500 scholarships have been funded and awarded for a total distribution of $36 million in financial aid to deserving young people. 860 guests attended the Awards Dinner which raised $2.4 million in scholarship funds. 

Delbarton senior Julian Osorio '24 was a keynote speaker at the event and delivered a powerful affirmation of the transformative power financial aid has to help motivated students in need "to become much more than society had planned for us". He credited Sister Jo-Ann Pompa, M.P.F., the principal of his elementary school, St. Gerard Majella in Paterson, for guiding him and his family through the Delbarton application process, and spoke of Delbarton's welcoming atmosphere. "I have never been accepted so quickly into a loving community," he told the audience. Osorio shared his aspirations to become a biomedical engineer one day, and thanked Tri-County Scholarship Fund donors for supporting him -- "since kindergarten!" -- on his educational journey. He referenced the Global Delbarton trip he joined to Jordan last spring as an example of the depth of Delbarton's support. Click here to watch Julian's wonderful speech.

As the Making A Difference Honoree, Fr. Michael was introduced by Delbarton Director of Athletics Tony Negrin who said, "All agree that Fr. Michael is an exceptional leader, one who consistently pushes both himself and others towards excellence." Praising Fr. Michael as a colleague, teacher, mentor and friend, Negrin closed by saying, "Tonight, he is recognized for creating opportunities for all students, and for his profound understanding that exposure to educational excellence has the power to transform a student’s life." Accepting his award, Fr. Michael spoke of the Tri-County Scholarship Fund mission to open doors for deserving young scholars. "I daily see the power of Tri-County's work to transform the lives of young people," he said. "You make our schools, our neighborhoods, and our society better, one precious soul at a time." Click here to watch Tony Negrin's introduction, followed by Fr. Michael's speech. 

Fr. Michael has been a long-standing board member of TCSF and was recognized for his life-long commitment to education, for creating student scholarship opportunities and for his committment to all students under his care. Julian Osorio's speech exemplified the impact of Tri-County and Fr. Michael's support on the life of one young man who dreams of giving back to others in a similar fashion one day. 

The TCSF Annual Awards Dinner is the main fundraising effort for the Tri-County Scholarship Fund organization and is always an inspiring event as donors have an opportunity to interact with the young students they help. Thank you to everyone in the Delbarton community who donated to the Tri-County Scholarship Fund this year in recognition of Fr. Michael's Making a Difference Award. Click here for a complete recap of the Tri-County Scholarship Fund 42nd Annual Awards Dinner and enjoy these photos from the event.