John Aaron, a founding Trustee and the current President of the Graphic Communications Scholarship Foundation (GCSF), chose space exploration as his theme in convening the group’s 2025 Scholarship Awards Ceremony in New York City on June 30.
Painting students of graphic communications as the payloads of “space capsules” launched into the cosmos on voyages of discovery, Aaron hailed those who support them with scholarship donations as the “booster rockets” that launch the missions and send the explorers on their way.
In Aaron’s metaphor, GCSF – a 501(c)(3) organization that has raised funds for the cause for more than 20 years – assumes the role of NASA in coordinating with donors and providing a platform for scholarship recipients to accomplish the mission goals they have set for themselves.
“Individual efforts never achieve total success,” Aaron observed. “The exploration of space requires a team of individuals and agencies in its mission of exploring the vast universe. Tonight’s scholarship recipients are no doubt grateful for the self-assured lift-off provided by the support of our donors and mission control at GCSF.”
Funding the Next Generation
Those recipients – 18 in all – are young people from the New York / New Jersey area who are enrolled in or are about to enter academic study programs in all phases of graphic communications. Some are repeat beneficiaries of scholarship grants from GCSF, which has contributed nearly $1.5 million in support of education since awarding its first scholarships in 2002. (A list of this year’s recipients and donors appears at the end of the article.)
Recognized with a cash grant was the Department of Communication Design (COMD) at New York City College of Technology. The ceremony also featured the presentation of GCSF’s Champion of Education Award to Paul V. Reilly, a celebrated figure in the printing industry.
This honor is reserved for industry leaders who have shown exceptional dedication to professional education and career advancement. Cheryl Kahanec, CEO of Quantum Group, introduced Reilly as someone who “has been an educator, mentor, and leader of people coming into the industry for as long as I can remember.” She praised him for being always ready to listen and help no matter who is doing the asking.
Reilly is best known as the consolidator who grew a small envelope company into what became Mail-Well and later Cenveo, one of the industry’s largest and most diversified providers of print-based services. Under Reilly’s leadership, Cenveo completed 60 acquisitions, grew from $17 million to $2 billion in sales, and expanded its footprint to 86 plants with more than 10,000 employees across North America.
Reilly then went on to co-found New Direction Partners, an investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) within the printing and packaging industries. With his help, the firm completed over 300 transactions representing over $4 billion in sales value as it helped sellers and buyers to achieve their business and personal goals.
Points to Ponder
The Champion of Education honoree offered three points of guidance to the student recipients.
First, he urged them to “keep it up” by treating education as a lifelong journey in which no one does it alone.
He also promoted “diversity of thought” as a virtue for personal growth and business leadership. “It’s a weakness not to be open to other people’s thoughts,” said Reilly, adding that he is seeing this negative trait at work in business more than he used to. It is never right to filter information only for the points that support a predetermined conclusion, he told the students.
Finally, he urged them not to let artificial intelligence take over their individual learning experiences. The right way to use AI isn’t to ask it for a solution, but to inform it, “Your mission is to educate me on this subject.” Reilly said that although AI may be on the point of changing the lives of all of us, it is no substitute for personal creative thinking.
Reilly wasn’t the only industry luminary taking part in the awards ceremony.
Charley Whitaker, Chief Executive Officer of Taylor Corporation, one of the country’s top-10 providers of printing services, presented two scholarships in the company’s name. Kahanec, bestowing two scholarships on behalf of Quantum Group, is known throughout the industry for her leadership in digital printing. Also on hand as a donor was John W. Dreyer Sr., the former president and CEO of Pitman Company and currently a partner at Cyngient.
A Gem of CUNY
For several years, the Department of Communication Design at City Tech has relied on GCSF funding to invest in new equipment and resources for its study programs. These include the only Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in communication design offered by any school in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.
George Garrastegui, Jr., the department’s chair, accepted the 2025 grant and thanked GCSF for its ongoing support. He said that this year’s contribution will help COMD to buy supplies, update the student printing lab, and acquire a vinyl cutting machine. Also planned is the publication of a yearbook to be used as a showcase for students’ work and as a resource for attracting new students to COMD.
In closing remarks, GCSF Trustee Natalie Alcide – now a senior art director at a top advertising agency who received her first GCSF scholarship grant 13 years ago – told the students that the industry they are preparing to enter is “magical” because of what they bring to it.
“This village is remarkable,” she said. “We are in this room for a reason. “It’s because you are extraordinary.”
How to Help
Besides raising money for scholarships, GCSF provides technical training, mentorships, and work/study opportunities for students pursuing careers in the industry. Working as unpaid volunteers without professional staff or dedicated office space, the members of GCSF’s Board of Directors channel all of the money they raise to students as scholarships and to qualifying organizations as cash grants.
To donate, and for further information, visit https://gcsfny.org/donate/.
2025 Student Scholarship Awardees and Donors
Hyolyn Yang (New Direction Partners)
Phoebe Pugkhem-George (New Direction Partners)
Yaritza Sencion (Advertising Production Club of New York Judy Salmon Scholarship Award)
Melissa Guadalupe Marana (Advertising Production Club of New York Judy Salmon Scholarship Award)
Aiya Zhumagaliyeva (Taylor Corporation)
Aiden Joel Hamilton (Taylor Corporation)
Stephanie-Rose Caragiulo (Quantum Group)
Sable Spellman (Quantum Group)
Lauren Ashley Nielsen (Canon Group)
Erika Maza (Canon Group)
Sarah Jo Renelt (GCSF)
Esther Jungreis (GCSF)
Caroline Irene Piszczatowski (GCSF)
Richard Nguyen (GCSF)
Nour Mohsen (GCSF)
Sebastian Chapman (GCSF)
Leo Romero (GCSF)
Justin Tacuri (GCSF)
2025 Community Grant Award
Department of Communication Design, New York City College of Technology (GCSF)
