Amelia Schaeffer. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Charlotte Sebastian. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Elle Mone. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Emily Boyd. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Milo Sullivan. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Savannah Matthews. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Syius Rigali. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Tasman Strong. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Xeandre Miller. —Courtesy MVYouth 
Nicole Capece. —Courtesy MVYouth
MVYouth announced Tuesday that the community fund has awarded nearly $600,000 to 10 local high school students for college, healthcare and education, and workforce development scholarships this year.
“With the generous support of our donors, MVYouth has selected an excellent group of students each spring for the past 12 years. In this time, we have witnessed the cost of higher education escalate enormously. Most students face educational costs that are completely untenable for their families. Our last-dollar scholarship awards enable students to select schools that would otherwise be financially out of reach. We are so grateful to be able to help so many students take advantage of the outstanding educational opportunities they have earned without taking on debt that will burden them and their families,” Lindsey Scott, executive director of MVYouth, said in a press release.
In the past 12 years, MVYouth has awarded more than $9 million in scholarships to 123 students. The advisory board for the fund assesses criteria, such as academic performance, character, school activities, community service, employment experience, and career goals in order to recommend the young Islander for these scholarships, the release reads. Semifinalists are also interviewed by the advisory board and board of trustees.
The college scholarships offer four years of “last-dollar” funds, which is what remains after family contributions and institutional aid, to high school seniors who qualify for financial support. This year’s recipients are Nicola Capece, who will attend Swarthmore College; Syius Rigali, who will attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Charlotte Sebastian, who will attend Providence College; Tasman Strom, who will attend Northeastern University; and Milo Sullivan, who will attend University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
The healthcare and education scholarships go to seniors who plan to pursue careers in those two fields. This year’s recipients are Emily Boyd, who will attend Wellesley College to pursue a career in healthcare; Elle Mone, who will attend Middlebury College to pursue a career in education; and Amelia Schaeffer, who will attend Wesleyan University to pursue a career in healthcare.
The workforce development scholarships go to people ages 18 to 25 to pursue technical training and professional development in one- and two-year programs. The career fields can include automotive mechanics, aviation, building trades, cosmetology, culinary arts, healthcare, horticulture, interpreting, landscaping, marine trades, and wind technology. This year’s recipients are Savannah Matthews, who will attend the Collectiv Academy to pursue training in cosmetology, and Xeandre Miller, who will attend Cape Cod Community College to pursue training in aviation maintenance technology.