Schools

Scores of Waterford Students Receive Scholarships

Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut announced it has awarded $372,450 in scholarships to 209 recently-graduated eastern Connecticut high school seniors and students continuing their college educations.

A press release from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut

The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut announced it has awarded $372,450 in scholarships to 209 recently-graduated eastern Connecticut high school seniors and students continuing their college educations. Another $30,450 will be distributed to groups – like the Hispanic Alliance – that will choose their own awardees. The $402,900 represents a 20 percent increase from last year.

“Charitable people in our region clearly believe that education is an investment in the future,” stated Paul Nunes, Community Foundation Board chairman. “Over the past 30 years, they’ve established 93 separate scholarship funds – most endowed for perpetuity – to ensure that all youth have a chance to attend college. We thank them for choosing the Community Foundation to meet their goals.”

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Community Foundation Trustee Mary Seidner of Old Lyme said her eight-member volunteer scholarship review committee for southeast Connecticut was able to provide scholarships to roughly two out of every three applicants. Her committee reviewed 320 applications.

“We were inspired by a pool of focused and engaged students, many of whom were the first generation in their families to attend college,” Seidner said. “Our role is to match the criteria of each scholarship fund with the needs of young people trying to afford college. It’s a challenge, but a very rewarding experience,” she concluded.

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Awards ranged from $200 to $15,000 over the student’s four years in college.

In addition to Seidner, members of the southeast Connecticut scholarship committee included Myra Gipstein, Valerie Grimm, Bob Gilmore and Valerie Lewis of Groton; Govind Menon of East Lyme; and Priscilla Green and Jason Burdick of New London. Dianne Williams helped select students from the Willimantic area. Chris Hustus and Gerry Marmat joined a town-based committee in Eastford.

14 new college scholarship funds established in 2012

The town of Eastford transferred seven of its college scholarship funds to the Community Foundation in 2012; nearly all had been originally established for long-time educators or community leaders.

      Among the new funds established in 2012 that generated their first scholarships this year were:

  • The William Emberton Scholarship Fund, helping students with an interest in literature or poetry
  • The Commander James L. Smith Scholarship Fund, for Griswold students pursuing math, science, or engineering.
  • The Dana Michael Poole Scholarship Fund, that supports East Lyme students planning to major in economics or business management.

Next deadline for applications is April 1, 2014

The next deadline for scholarship applications is April 1, 2014. Guidelines and online applications will be available at www.cfect.org in January. For more information contact Program Director Jennifer O’Brien at JennOB@cfect.org or by calling her at 860-442-3572.

To establish a scholarship fund, contact Alison Woods at Alison@cfect.org, 860-442-3572 for southeast Connecticut and the Greater Norwich area. Contact Kip Parker at Kip@cfect.org or 860-442-3572 about starting a scholarship fund in the Greater Windham area or northeast Connecticut.

The Following Students from Waterford Received Scholarships in 2013

  • Ryan Cairns: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Kacey Cairns: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Stephanie Daniels: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Jillian Fal: Edward and Fuzzy Gipstein Scholarship
  • Hira Iqbal: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Catlin Purcell: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • Selena Roy: Carl Jr. and Dorothy Safford UConn Scholarship Fund
  • Richard Zaharek III: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • John Adams Waterford Scholars Fund
  • William Bartelli IV: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • Bree Elliott: Edith M. Harris Memorial Scholarship Fund
  • Levi Green: Aldo Valentini Scholarship Fund
  • Brianna Grills: Edith M. Harris Memorial Scholarship Fund
  • Christopher Hodges: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Claire Howard: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Joshua Kelly: Don Lumadue Arts Scholarship Fund
  • Sara Kelly: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Ryan Kohl: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • Mary Koller: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • Corey LaLima: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Lilly Lenes: Aldo Valentini Scholarship Fund
  • Weston Long: Alfred G. & Imogen M. Moss Scholarship Fund
  • James Maryeski: Tuneski Sheflott Irish/Polish Heritage Scholarship Fund
  • Adrian Melendez-Cooper: Isadore Hendel Memorial Scholarship Fund
  • Gabriel Morosky: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • Evelyn O'Regan: Margaret Mary Curtin Scholarship Fund
  • Annabelle Orlando: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • Alexis Persi: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Kevin Rathbun: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Leah Simonson: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Kierstyn Smith: Beatrice McEwen Scholarship Fund
  • Megan Spellman: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • Maria Theiler: Waterford Scholars Fund
  • Christopher Wallace: Smith Literary Scholarship Fund
  • Kaitlyn Way: Cornelius and Mary Jane York Scholarship Fund
  • Julie Weiss: John Ostrom Enders II Memorial Scholarship Fund
  • Sandy Zhang: Marjory & Laurence Smith Scholarship Fund


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