Founded by parents Jane Talarico and Michael Paskowsky for scholarships for Saint Mary’s College students studying abroad.

An honors student, Nicholas Talarico Paskowsky graduated from Frederick High School in 2002, where he lettered in football and track. He was a Dean’s List student at Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, majoring in history with plans of attending law school. He was scheduled to spend a semester abroad in Costa Rica to learn more about Central America and to improve his Spanish language skills when he passed away in August 2004, four months shy of his 21st birthday. Nicholas’ parents, Jane Marie Talarico and Michael Paul Paskowsky, established The Nicholas Talarico Paskowsky Memorial Fund to reflect the interests that defined their son. The fund awards annual scholarships to provide assistance to Saint Mary’s College of Maryland students to study abroad, particularly to Spanish-speaking countries.

Destinations visited by students receiving the grants from this fund include Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Thailand and China. Students typically live with native-speaking host families, attend classes, experience cultural activities, and complete an academic project. In addition to intensive language study, the students have engaged in a variety of intellectual pursuits. For example, a biology major worked on a sea turtle rescue project in Mexico. Jane and Michael believe international travel is an enriching and transformative experience: “It opens eyes and hearts to other perspectives. It breaks down stereotypes and fosters an appreciation of other world views.”