This year 197 Northampton students will receive a total of $158,800 from the Northampton Chapter of Dollars for Scholars. This is both the largest number of scholarships and the largest dollar amount in our 51-year history of supporting local students who are continuing their education beyond high school.
This record is a testament to the generosity and forward thinking of our community, past and present. A number of these awards each year are Legacy Scholarships funded by your neighbors as a remembrance of someone special, people like Gus Serio, Peter Kocot, Mo Mahar, Patrick Phillips, Julie Heyl-Rushmer and many more.
These people, through the generosity of their family, friends and acquaintances, established scholarships for Northampton students because they recognized the value of post-secondary education.
I invite you to attend our annual awards ceremony May 13, at 7 p.m. at Northampton High School. As you see these students cross the stage, you are sure to recognize your neighbors, perhaps your babysitter or your clerk from the grocery store or the volunteer who worked beside you at the Northampton Survival Center or Manna Community Kitchen. You will hear the names of students who persevered and kept their eye on their goal of attending college. You’ll recognize, as so many before us have, the importance of being The Community Behind the Student.
Jim Shinnick, director of Northampton Dollars for Scholars
Florence