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Middletown, NY – The Paul Rickard Memorial Scholarship is proud to announce that Romeo Aquino was awarded the 2021 Paul Rickard Memorial Scholarship for Athletics.
“After being recruited by Coach Rickard and visiting campus, I knew that SUNY Orange was the right fit for me. My parents can come watch me play every game, I get a great education and I have the opportunity to get my game to the point where I can play at the next level.” Aquino said. “Receiving The Paul Rickard Memorial Scholarship really means a lot to me. It allows me to strive for my goals without the burden of paying for school.”
Aquino, a 6’4″ power forward, joins the Colts after graduating from Washingtonville High School, where he was a standout student athlete. In his senior year, he averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per game. In his Junior season, he set the Washingtonville single season blocks record with 71 blocks. He was voted Times Herald Record Second Team in his Junior and Senior seasons. As a Senior, the coaches voted him for AA First Team All conference. Most importantly, he maintained a 3.0 GPA.
“ What more can you say about Romeo? He is exactly the type of student athlete SUNY Orange is looking for. Not only is he a great player but he is a great student and an even better person. He is the perfect ambassador for SUNY Orange and our program.” said Head Coach Tom Rickard. “Our goal is to get the best players in the county to stay local, with Romeo we certainly hit a home run.”
Romeo was born and raised in Newburgh, NY by his parents, Amanda and William. He also has two sisters, Alexis and Leilani, who helped push him to be the person he is today. Out of high school, Romeo had a couple different opportunities to play at four year institutions. He saw SUNY Orange as a pathway to make himself better and get to the next level.
“I had the opportunity to go away to school out of high school but Coach Rickard showed me his vision of what I could become and where I could go. From that point on, I knew SUNY Orange was the right place for me.”
Past Scholarship Recipients
Riley Smith – Valley Central High School
Joel Carty – Uncommon Charter
Justin Feldman – Chester Academy
David Borek – Minisink Valley High School
Malcolm Covington – Blessed Sacrament High School
Cody Williams – Harrisburg High School
Amemou Jean-Baptiste – Chapel Field High School
Anthony Martin – Christ the King High School
Connor Cornine – Don Bosco High School
Malik Jenkins – Boys and Girls High School
If you are interested in supporting the Paul Rickard Memorial Scholarship, you can donate directly to the SUNY Orange Foundation on our website Here. The SUNY Orange Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax deductible.
