St Andrews Family Business Launches Memorial Scholarship

Monday 27 June 2016

A St Andrews family, whose business has been operating in the town since 1908, is giving back to its local school in the form of an annual memorial Scholarship.

Nicola and Owen Hazel of Jannettas Gelateria are launching the ‘Fiona De Angelis (nee Jannetta) Academic Scholarship’ which will provide financial support to a Madras College student who is advancing their development and career by embarking on further education.

The Scholarship is of great significance to the familty, as four generations have attended (or attend) Madras College - Charlie Jannetta, Fiona De Angelis herself, who attended the school between 1948 and 1954, Nicola, and Nicola and Owen’s three children.

The first recipient of the Scholarship is Dean Watson (17), who will start a petroluem engineering course at Fife College after the Summer.

Dean has been a carer since the age of eight, looking after his mother, who is disabled and wheelchair-bound, his grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, and his three year old sister.   He is also part of the Fife Young Carers focus group, and was nominated to speak at Stirling University on behalf of Fife for the ‘Time to be Heard’ campaign. Dean also raised funds for Motor Neurone Disease by assisting with a fundraising event for his former Maths teacher Donald Grewar, who is currently battling the condition. He has also volunteered for the Bethany Christian Trust,a charity for the homeless.

Dean, a Prefect, said, “I am absolutely delighted, and humbled, to be awarded this Scholarship, particularly to be the first recipient to do so.  Jannettas has always been part of my childhood, and to be supported in my studies here in Fife by a local business is just fantastic.  I enjoy making a difference to people’s lives and will do my utmost to honour the Jannettas family name.  After my formal education is complete, I’d love to join the Royal Marines or the Army, and to serve people while exploring new opportunities for my own personal development.”

Nicola Hazel, Trustee and co-owner of Jannettas Gelateria commented, “For four generations, my family have lived within the St Andrews community. At the heart of that community has been Madras College. It has seen four generations of the Jannettas family lineage come through its doors and thrive. Today we wish to celebrate and recognise our association and heritage within the town and its community by setting up an Academic Scholarship in my Mother’s memory and name, to give a Madras College student the same opportunity that was afforded me and generations before me.  We are delighted through our collaboration and association with Madras College to have awarded our inaugural Scholarship to Dean, an extremely worthy and deserving candidate. We look forward to supporting Dean and following his progress throughout the Scholarship period.”

David McClure, Rector of Madras College added, “I am truly delighted for Dean that he will be the first recipient of this very generous scholarship offer.  It is a wonderful gesture by Jannettas to give something back to the school which they feel has served, and is serving, their family and others in the community well.  I have known Dean for three years and even taught him Mathematics last year while he was applying for his further education progression.  His application for this scholarship was a true reflection of the challenges he has faced over the years and we believe this scholarship will help to support him in his future career.”