Six recent high school graduates from the Tri-Town area have been awarded college scholarships by funds of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts.
The George Earl and Katherine Hartley Church Scholarship was awarded to Kasandra Gonet of Rochester, a graduate of Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, who is attending Fitchburg State University, and Gretta Mills of Mattapoisett, a 2013 graduate of Bishop Stang High School, who is attending Curry College. Each was awarded a $1,300 scholarship to study nursing.
Lifelong Rochester resident George Earl Church established the scholarship fund at the Community Foundation in 2007 to honor the memory of his late wife, Katherine Hartley Church, who worked as a nurse her entire professional life. It is targeted for students from specific towns and high schools who wish to study nursing.
The College Club of New Bedford awards scholarships to young women who are graduates of or are graduating from New Bedford High School, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Bishop Stang High School, Dartmouth High School, and Fairhaven High School. This year, a $500 scholarship was awarded to Colleen Packard of Marion, a Bishop Stang graduate who is majoring in chemistry at George Washington University.
The Ladies’ Branch of the New Bedford Port Society provides scholarships for high school seniors who have documented family ties to the sea, have received an acceptance letter from a Maritime Academy, or will major in maritime science. First consideration is given to families of descendants of seamen. This year, scholarships were awarded to Abigail Hiller, an Old Rochester Regional High School graduate who attends UMass Amherst ($800); Nathaniel Fuchs, an ORRHS graduate who is in his second year at the University of Vermont ($800); and Walker Fuchs, also an ORRHS graduate in his second year at Wheaton College ($800).