You'll Never Walk Alone Rukesh and Shanith Samarasekera Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is in honor of Rukesh and Shanith Samarasekera’s unforgettable characters and will go towards students who exemplify those qualities.

You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Shanith got that tattoo to remind his brother that no matter what he will always be there for him, helping with every step he takes. Shanith always gave of his time and talents to make everlasting change in peoples lives. He never let anyone walk alone. Among other things Shanith had:

• Unconditional love for his family and friends
• Enthusiastically played and studied sports
• A gift to learn (in and out of class) and teach 
• The most radiant smile, an awesome sense of humor, and an unforgettable laugh
• Pride in his Sri Lankan American identity
• Incredible confidence and integrity
• The biggest heart 

Most things weren’t challenging to Shanith but he always challenged himself. He made every moment matter, every second count. Shanith made life seem so fun and easy. As one friend said “Shanith was a bridge between people. His common denominator wasn’t the same as most of society. His common denominator was if you were a good person.” And that’s what this scholarship is all about. We’re not looking for someone with an impressive resume, we’re looking for someone with an impressive character…a person with a thirst for knowledge and the passion to use it for good. 

Shanith Samarasekera graduated from Clark High School (Academy of Finance). He was a senior double majoring in Global Supply Chain Management and Political Science with a minor in Economics at Clarkson University. Shanith was looking forward to going to law school and wanted to be an attorney for the International Criminal Court.