BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Rotary Club recently awarded a total of $16,500 in scholarships to five local high school students who will be attending college this fall. The scholarships are funded by The Gateway Foundation, an affiliate of the club.
This year's recipients include Avery K. Bennett of Brattleboro and Trinity S. Stroud of Hinsdale, who will who will both attend the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth; Connor V. Sengaloun of Hinsdale, who will attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Abigail L. Towle of Newfane, who will attend Stonehill College; and Phoebe Z. Weinberg of Putney, who will attend Warren Wilson College. Each student received $3,300.
"We are happy to be able to offer these scholarships each year, and hope the assistance will help lead each student a step closer to his or her goals," said Scholarship Committee Chair John C. Mabie in a news release.
The Brattleboro Rotary Club established The Gateway Foundation in 1986 to create a fund to support scholarships awarded annually to local students pursuing college. The Foundation, which is a nonprofit and tax-exempt organization, has awarded over $550,000 in scholarships to area students. It is funded by the club and individual contributions.
Applications are accepted each spring from graduating seniors at Brattleboro Union, Hinsdale, and Leland & Gray High Schools. Criteria for the awards are academic achievement, financial need, and community service, all of which are weighed evenly.
Founded in 1950, the Brattleboro Rotary Club is an active community service club of 60 members. It engages in community and human service projects locally and internationally. The club holds weekly lunch meetings on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. in Brattleboro. The public is welcome to attend meetings by contacting a Rotary member.
For more information about the Brattleboro Rotary Club and its Gateway Foundation, contact Mabie at 802-257-5292.