Sean Patrick Cunningham lived a brief but impactful life in his twenty-four years. He was born in East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania on July 10, 1989 and over the next eighteen years he lived in Stroudsburg, PA graduating from Notre Dame High School in 2007. During this time Sean distinguished himself as possessing a gift for developing friendships easily because he cared about people.
Sean was a good student and most appreciated subjects related to math. He very much enjoyed playing baseball, soccer and golf. Team sports helped develop Sean’s confidence at an early age because he was pretty good at them even though he was often the smallest guy on the team. This, many believe, became the foundation for Sean’s determined spirit.
Sean developed many close friends in his time at Notre Dame and the number grew exponentially after he entered St. Joseph's University in 2008. Majoring in Business, Sean graduated with a concentration in Finance in 2011. He found St. Joe's life a great fit and by joining the Co-operative education program he completed three internships. These internships led to a job after graduation at Estee Lauder in the Philadelphia area, which enabled Sean to apply his business skills. He learned much about management in his two years in this position and it developed a desire to progress to a Planning/Business Forecasting position. This goal led him to L’Oreal USA in New Jersey where he became a Business Planning professional in May of 2013.
Sean's was proud of his career progression even though the long commute did not allow much time for his love of the game of golf. It was at the golf course where Sean built many enduring friendships with people of all ages and backgrounds growing up. It was where he spent much time with his parents whether at home in Pennsylvania or, on many golf trips to South Carolina, Oregon and Arizona.
Sean's other passion was music and he enjoyed attending concerts with his many good friends. While Sean had eclectic taste in music, he most enjoyed Dave Matthews and O.A.R. concerts. Not surprisingly, he often spoke about how he wished he could work in the golf or music industry and might have realized that dream one day.
Family and friends were most important to Sean. The number of people who speak about how Sean touched their life is overwhelming. Whether it was a friend who was homesick or someone who struggled to be accepted, Sean was always there when they needed him. One of Sean's closest friends said that he was the most determined person he ever met. This determination allowed Sean to accomplish much until he passed away from an accident on July 14, 2013--far too young.
The Sean P. Cunningham Memorial Scholarship was established to continue Sean's orientation for helping those in need. Each year a deserving student entering their final year of training in the medical field, having the need for financial assistance, will receive a scholarship through the Pocono Health Foundation.
For more information on Sean's Scholarship, click here.