The Arlington Soccer Club presented four financial scholarships to graduating high school seniors at the 2024 Arlington High School Awards Night. Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors from Arlington High Schools with a history of participation in ASC programs and demonstrated community service.
The Sam Oliver Memorial Scholarships
The ASC established the Sam Oliver Memorial Scholarship for a graduating high school senior who has played for the ASC as a child, and who has continued through high school to coach, referee, serve as a TOPS Soccer buddy, or manage a team for the ASC.
Sam Oliver coached three generations of girls’ soccer for the ASC and was a mentor to ASC coaches. His tireless work as a supporter of the Arlington High School Girls’ Varsity Soccer program played a significant role in the strength of girls’ soccer in Arlington at every level. The ASC established the Sam Oliver Memorial Scholarships as a tribute to his memory after Sam passed away in 2007.
This year’s three recipients of the Sam Oliver Memorial Scholarships are:
- Colin McKenzie
- Belen Sanchez Mathews
- Virginia Sanzo
The Marwan Ghabour Memorial Scholarship
The ASC established the Marwan Ghabour Memorial Scholarship for a graduating high school senior with outstanding service as an ASC referee and a demonstrated commitment to community volunteering.
Marwan Ghabour played for the ASC as a young boy and through his senior year in high school, and is a past recipient of the Sam Oliver Scholarship. Marwan started refereeing for the ASC in 7 th Grade and continued through high school and for several years after graduating from Arlington High School. Marwan played varsity soccer as a goalkeeper for Arlington High School and served as a volunteer goalkeeping coach for the Arlington High School Boys’ Varsity Soccer team after graduation. In 2020, while serving in the US Army on a peacekeeping mission in Egypt, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marwan Ghabour tragically passed at the age of 27 in a helicopter crash. In 2023, the ASC established the Marwan Ghabour Memorial Scholarship to honor Marwan’s memory and dedication to service.
This year’s recipient of the Marwan Ghabour Memorial Scholarship is Kiley Barry-Smith.