The Scholarship Fund awards two scholarships annually.  Both scholarships are funded by member donations and support the educational goals of our local youth.  This year through the generous donations of our members the fund was able to award two $1500 scholarships.

Our first recipient Leanna Puccio graduated from Medford Vocational Technical High school in 2020.  She decided to transfer into the Vocational program after her sophomore year and she says “it was one of the best decisions she made throughout high school.”

One of Leanna’s favorite parts of school was developing friendships in her classes and shop.  Her schedule of one week of classes and one week of shop was rewarding for her this year and helped her to develop some amazing friendships.  She also enjoyed being involved with her school community through yearbook, photographing school events, and helping tech freshman rotation.

Some of Leanna’s hobbies are reading and softball, but that’s not all she also loves photography, videography, radio, and journalism.  She believes one of the things that makes her unique is her interest in so many different activities.  She is hoping to use these experiences to guide her on a career path where she can use her talents and land a job doing what she enjoys every day.  Leanna says, “my dream job would be working for a famous media related company, such as Netflix, The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, or working as a producer for a movie or a radio interviewer.

Leanna will attend Endicott College in the fall, majoring in digital media with a minor in photography.  She is very grateful for this award and appreciates everyone who made this possible for her.

Our second recipient, Hannah Araujo is a senior at Bristol County Agricultural High School. Over the years Hannah has done many amazing things such as learning to drive a tractor, climbing a tree, putting together an engine and landscaping construction units.

Her favorite high school memory is when she went to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.  For three years, she and three of her classmates studied and placed first at the state convention in Massachusetts by over 700 points.  They then moved on to the regional convention at Big E and placed first again by over 400 points.  At the national level, they had to know over 200 plants by their common and Latin name.  They were tested on common knowledge of plants and pest problems, how they would perform in a job interview, how well they could execute a flower arrangement, how they would sell an item, and how well they could put together a window display.  Hannah says, “she can still remember the thrill of walking into the convention room with everyone from all over the United States.  Everyone was ecstatic to be there.”

Hannah will attend Roger William University this fall.  She plans to do a 3 + 4 program in Biochemistry and Pharmacy.  She hopes to find a job in the medical field making pharmaceuticals out of plants.  Hannah says, “she wants to make medicines that are better for the body.  I want to take more of an organic routine of medicines.”

She is honored to have been chosen as the recipient of the 2020 Scholarship.