Gail Ann DiCastro Prize (GAP) Scholarship

This scholarship is available to PSC students who demonstrate financial need and are Serena Hills Elementary School alums. The Prairie State College (PSC) Foundation received a $100,000 scholarship donation from philanthropist and PSC alumnus Allan DiCastro. Originally from Chicago Heights, DiCastro attended PSC and later moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s. Despite the distance, he sought ways to give back to the community in memory of his late sister, Gail Ann DiCastro, who passed away in 1979. Ms. DiCastro planned to enroll at PSC in the fall of 1979, but was one of three graduates from Homewood-Flossmoor High School killed in the crash of American Airlines Flight 191, leaving Chicago O’Hare International Airport and heading to Los Angeles on May 25, 1979. The crash claimed 273 lives, including all 258 passengers and 13 crew members, as well as two individuals, on the ground, making it the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. All five of the DiCastro children attended Serena Hills Elementary School in Chicago Heights – a place that holds a special place in his heart. To give back, the PSC Foundation will use the funds to cover out-of-pocket tuition and books for Serena Hills alumni.