In the mid 1980’s Joseph Batory became the Superintendent of Schools for the very large and diverse school system in Upper Darby, PA. Because he remembered all too well his days of growing up poor in Philadelphia, he decided to make “a bit of positive difference” each year for a worthy graduate of Upper Darby High School. To do this, he initiated his own personally funded scholarship award.

More than three decades later, at the Upper Darby High School Class of 2024 Awards Night on May 30, 2024, the Joseph Batory Scholarship was awarded for the 36^th consecutive year. and 42 different Upper Darby High School grads have now received this scholarship.

The roots of this scholarship funding lie with Batory being the grandson of immigrants from Poland.  The Joseph P. Batory Scholarship memorializes their legacy.  Both of his grandfathers “worked long and hard hours” in the coal mines and eventually suffered lung disease. These Batory immigrant grandparents sacrificed and gave greatly of themselves so future generations of their families would succeed.

Batory has always left the selection of his annual scholarship recipient in the hands of the Upper Darby High school staff,  urging only that there be academic promise and financial need as the criteria for the graduate to receive his scholarship award.

The 2024 recipient of the Joseph Batory Scholarship is  Andrea Garcia-Castillo, a young woman who has demonstrated remarkable prowess as a student and much promise for the future!     Andrea ranks in the top 7% academically in her graduation class of more than 950 seniors.  She has excelled at Upper Darby High School, where she has earned “distinguished honor roll status” all four years. Andrea is hoping to pursue studies to become a mechanical engineer and has applied to several high-powered universities.

Andrea is the daughter of proud parents, Pedro and Andrea, who own and operate the very successful and highly rated Hibernian Cafe in Drexel Hill, PA.

The ethnic backgrounds of previous  Joseph P. Batory Scholarship recipients have been remarkably diverse:  Here are just some of these Batory awardee names: Ali;  Kurbaj: Ong; Arsenlis; Ko; Shah; Mozdzanowska; Phan; Khawaja; Ferdaus; Nguyen; Lai; Phung; Hussain and Ansari…and now in 2024 Garcia-Castillo. 

“I continue to be amazed at the products of Upper Darby High School.” Summarized Batory, whose leadership in Upper Darby produced numerous innovations and achievements in the school system. “While high schools which educate students from affluent and basically homogenized communities regularly get public acclaim, Upper Darby is truly underrated because it has a  consistent track record of  making a positive difference for all who come to them. 

“The brilliant student, the newcomer, the achiever who has overcome adversity, the average, the slow learner, and those with special needs all exist in large numbers at Upper Darby High.  Indeed, the diversity of Upper Darby High, academically, socio-economically, racially, and ethnically, is staggering and its legacy of success stories for many thousands of pupils from all sorts of backgrounds is exemplary.”

In a world with too much cynicism and nihilism these days, take heart.  There are indeed good young people among us, many of them at Upper Darby High School, talented dreamers who have the potential and a desire to make a difference for the better for others in the future.

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 Joseph Batory, superintendent of schools of the Upper Darby School District from 1984 to 1999,  was commended  by the President of the United States and the United States House of Representatives when he retired for his leadership which created many innovations/achievements for the school system.  He is also the recipient of numerous national and local leadership awards including the American Association of School Administrators’ prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.