SARATOGA SPRINGS The Melanie Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2015 scholarship: Tabitha Dunn of Ballston Lake, Stefanie Landau of Philadelphia and Melissa Smigelsky of Memphis, Tenn.

The annual scholarship is awarded to graduate-level students in the mental health field that demonstrate commitment to helping others through the exercise of empathy and wisdom.

“It is an honor for the board of The Melanie Foundation to be in a position to recognize these wonderful people who are dedicating their careers to strengthening the mental health options in their communities,” said George O’Donnell, president of The Melanie Foundation.

Scholarships are awarded to students who best exhibit devotion to their fields of study, and convey commitment to their studies both inside and outside the classroom through research, volunteerism, and work experience. Those awarded are recognized for serving communities in a manner consistent with Melanie Merola O’Donnell’s values of compassion, generosity, respect and commitment to others.

Tabitha Dunn is a student at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., pursuing her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology. Dunn is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, where she earned her Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling in December 2012 and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in June 2011. She has worked with victims of domestic violence in various capacities for many years and it is this work that prompted her to continue her studies in counseling psychology.

Stefanie Landau is a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at Widener University Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology in Chester, Pa. She graduated in May 2011 Magna Cum Laude from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Landau states that her decision to obtain her doctoral degree in clinical psychology has been profound, invigorating, and validating. She endeavors to develop compassion for those she works with and to acquire the wisdom of how to best use evidence-based practices to heal.

Melissa Smigelsky is a second-year doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Memphis. Her past education includes a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College Graduate School in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wheaton College, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2008. Smigelsky engages in research and clinical work, bridging mental health issues and community violence.

For more information or to register for The Saratoga Palio: Melanie Merola O’Donnell Memorial Race on September 20, visit www.themelaniefoundation.com or like the group on Facebook.