Dante Accamando Awarded Richard J. Collins Scholarship

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North Allegheny senior goalie Dante Accamando was recently awarded the 2024 Richard J. Collins Scholarship for excellence in the pitch and the classroom.

Accamando, a Slippery Rock University commit, capped an outstanding career at North Allegheny with a superb senior campaign this past fall. Leading the Tigers to a WPIAL Class 4A championship game appearance and a trip to the PIAA quarterfinals. Individually, Accamando was named to the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association All-State Team and participated in the WPSCA All-Star Game, among other accolades. Accamando and the NA defense posted six shutouts during the 2023 season.

The Richard J. Collins Scholarship is awarded to a North Allegheny High School senior who is a rostered boys’ or girls’ soccer player and has displayed success both on the field and in the classroom.  In addition, a focus on the applicant’s family and community service commitments will also be considered when evaluating this award.

Students must have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the first semester of their senior year.

This is a one-time scholarship of $3,000.00 and students must not have accepted a full tuition scholarship to college, university, or technical school to be considered.


ABOUT THE NAMESAKE – RICHARD COLLINS (1965-2020)

Rick, as he was known, was a 1983 graduate of North Allegheny High School and Franklin Park resident.  Following his time at NA, Rick graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1987 with a degree in Business.  While his professional career was a large commitment in his life, his family was his highest priority and his support, love, and kindness for his immediate and extended family was unwavering.  This surviving family currently includes his wife (Jackie) and children (Jake and Shelby) along with his five sisters (Jean, Margot, Kathleen, Dawn, and Jill) and parents (Dick and Anne) that still reside within the North Allegheny School District.

Rick spent 29 years working and advancing through the ranks at Pfizer eventually being named Oncology Area Business Manager for all territory in the state of Florida and Puerto Rico.  His personality was one of strength, resolve, humor, and integrity.  He was known for saying “I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I’ll be the hardest working!”  Despite his relentless battle with pancreatic cancer, he continued to display his witty personality and support his passions – his family and soccer.  This was most evident when he would watch his son and his North Allegheny nephews (Jamie & Josh Luchini and Matt Mihm) play the game he loved.  This yearly scholarship will honor these passions, his life, and our memories of him.