Award winner Aggie Faustine from Lyme.

More than 200 students in eastern Connecticut will share more than $400,000 in scholarships as they head for college

The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut announced it has awarded $372,450 in scholarships to 209 recently-graduated eastern Connecticut high school seniors and students continuing their college educations.  Another $30,450 will be distributed to groups – like the Hispanic Alliance – that will choose their own awardees.  The $402,900 represents a 20 percent increase from last year.

Community Foundation thanks individuals, families, and businesses who have created 93 scholarship funds over 30 years, including 14 in 2012

“Charitable people in our region clearly believe that education is an investment in the future,” stated Paul Nunes, Community Foundation Board chairman.  “Over the past 30 years, they’ve established 93 separate scholarship funds – most endowed for perpetuity – to ensure that all youth have a chance to attend college.  We thank them for choosing the Community Foundation to meet their goals.”

Scholarships offered to two out of every three applicants

Award winner Jenna Kowalski from Lyme.

Community Foundation Trustee Mary Seidner of Old Lyme said her eight-member volunteer scholarship review committee for southeast Connecticut was able to provide scholarships to roughly two out of every three applicants. Her committee reviewed 320 applications.

“We were inspired by a pool of focused and engaged students, many of whom were the first generation in their families to attend college,” Seidner said.  “Our role is to match the criteria of each scholarship fund with the needs of young people trying to afford college.  It’s a challenge, but a very rewarding experience,” she concluded.

Awards ranged from $200 to $15,000 over the student’s four years in college.

In addition to Seidner, members of the southeast Connecticut scholarship committee included Myra Gipstein, Valerie Grimm, Bob Gilmore and Valerie Lewis of Groton; Govind Menon of East Lyme; and Priscilla Green and Jason Burdick of New London. Dianne Williams helped select students from the Willimantic area. Chris Hustus and Gerry Marmat joined a town-based committee in Eastford.

14 new college scholarship funds established in 2012

The town of Eastford transferred seven of its college scholarship funds to the Community Foundation in 2012; nearly all had been originally established for long-time educators or community leaders.

Among the new funds established in 2012 that generated their first scholarships this year were:

• The William Emberton Scholarship Fund, helping students with an interest in literature or poetry
• The Commander James L. Smith Scholarship Fund, for Griswold students pursuing math, science, or engineering,
• The Dana Michael Poole Scholarship Fund, that supports East Lyme students planning to major in economics or business management.

Six Students from Lyme and Old Lyme Win Awards

Agatha Forstein  and Jennifer Kowalski, both from Lyme, received awards from the Community Foundation’s Alfred G. & Imogen M. Moss Scholarship Fund

Four students from Old Lyme received scholarships from the Community Foundation as follows:

Shannon Chapman:  Latin Network for Visual Artists Scholarship

Lauren Colburn:  Alfred G. & Imogen M. Moss Scholarship Fund

Elizabeth Comstock:  Edith M. Harris Memorial Scholarship Fund

Michael McLean:  Smith Literary Scholarship Fund