MVYouth awarded a total of $730,000 in college and workforce development scholarships, which will last for all four years of school, to 10 high school seniors. The students will attend various training programs and four-year higher education institutes: With support from MVYouth’s Workforce Development Scholarship program, Michaela Benefit will attend University of Connecticut and Madeline Chronister will attend UMass Amherst’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture. With support from MVYouth’s College Scholarship program, Brooke Crocker will attend Tufts University; Larissa De Oliveira will attend UMass Amherst; Maria Clara Lacerda will attend Northeastern University; Ruby Reimann will attend Bates College; Eric Reubens will attend Tufts University; Kaya Seiman will attend Simmons University; Ellie Thomas will attend Wheaton College; and Willa Welch will attend Northeastern University.
“When I found out I was an MVYouth recipient, I was overjoyed,” Brooke Crocker, a senior at MVRHS, told The Times. “It’s an honor to be given the opportunity to pursue my education while limiting the amount of loans and debt I have to go into. I am eternally grateful for being chosen as a recipient and to attend Tufts University. I will be majoring in international relations and economics.”
“I’m super-happy and excited and honored to be a recipient of the scholarship, and it’s great to be celebrating this with my family. I’m happy to be getting the support from the foundation while attending Bates College.” said Ruby Reimann, another senior at MVRHS. She is undecided on a major, and wants to try new things and different courses to find her passion and spark curiosity in multiple disciplines. Ruby says that if she were to pick a major right now, it would be neuroscience, with a premed track.
Willa Welch is also undecided on her major, but is considering business or computer science at Northeastern University. She also has a strong interest in art history. “I’m very pleased and excited. I was kind of surprised when I saw how many scholarships were available on Martha’s Vineyard, and how big the packet was. Martha’s Vineyard Youth stood out to me. I’m grateful for how many scholarships are available to students,” Willa, a senior at MVRHS, said.
Including this year’s scholarship, MVYouth has supported or is supporting 60 students through its scholarship program. “As the expense of secondary education continues to rise, we are thrilled to be able to support these motivated and tenacious students to pursue the education and training opportunities they’ve worked so hard to embark on,” Lindsey Scott, MVYouth’s executive director, said in a press release announcing this year’s recipients.
MVYouth’s scholarships offer four-years of last-dollar funding to high school seniors seeking financial support for college, and last-dollar support to young people between the ages of 18-25. The Workforce Development Scholarships provide financial support to those pursuing the following types of training: auto mechanics, aviation, building trades, culinary arts, healthcare, horticulture, landscaping, marine trades, and wind technology.
Awards fill the calculated financial gaps remaining after families’ contributions and institutional aid from schools. Support continues for each year of the education or training program if recipients need support and maintain MVYouth’s scholarship guidelines.
MVYouth’s advisory boards assess applicants with the following criteria: academic performance, character, activities, community service, employment experience, and career goals. All semifinalists were interviewed before being selected.
