The Paul J. Carnazza Scholarship

Criteria: (Amount Equal to One Full Annual Tuition Award) The Paul J. Carnazza Scholarship is awarded to a new or current full-time student who shows superior scholarship and financial need combined with a strong career interest, with a minimum cumulative average of 2.8 and evidence of potential for future accomplishment.

Paul J. Carnazza ’50, M.Ed. ’53 believed that education was the key to making the world a happier, more productive place. A teacher and principal in the Worcester Public Schools for thirty-three years, Mr. Carnazza established this award to help make education more accessible to succeeding generations of deserving students.

According to his son James, Mr. Carnazza believed that “The way societies grow and mature and function for the betterment of all is through education. He chose to give to Worcester State not only because he was an alumnus but also because he saw that the college fills a vital need. If there weren’t a Worcester State, a lot of potential students might not be able to attend college.”

Mr. Carnazza, who earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Worcester State University, served with the Fourth Marine Division in World War II. He was among the Marines who took Iwo Jima and was later awarded the Purple Heart. He kept the Marine bulldog emblem posted on his classroom doors, a signal that he expected his students to do their best. “He was known as a tough teacher,” his son said, “because he knew that education was the best chance his kids had for a better life.”

In addition to being an outstanding educator, Mr. Carnazza ran a gardening business for many years. He was married to the former Anne Campbell for twenty-five years, and the couple had eight children.