BVT announces Class of 2015 John Abigail Adams Scholarship Recipients

A record-setting 81 students at Blackstone Valley Tech have earned the chance to pursue a tuition-free higher education.

The BVT Class of 2015’s eighty-one John and Abigail Adams Scholarship winners represent the school’s largest group of Adams Scholars and are eligible to receive tuition waivers if they enroll full-time in a Massachusetts public college or university.

Each year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education awards the scholarship to students who earned scores of Advanced and Proficient on grade 10 MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics (with at least one score of Advanced) and earned a combined score within the top 25 percent of their school district. Students who accept the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship and enroll in a state university or college will receive a tuition-waiver for up to eight semesters, which must be completed within six years of the recipient’s high school graduation.  Recipients must also maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average.

According to data on tuition rates from the Massachusetts Department of Secondary Education, recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship could benefit from average savings of nearly $3,000 at community colleges, $4,000 at state universities and $6,500 at the University of Massachusetts campuses.

“As our nation grows increasingly aware of and concerned by the long-term effects of burdensome student-debt, we’re proud to see Valley Tech students secure alternative sources of financing for their continued career training,” said Superintendent-Director Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick. “Anyone who has paid for a semester’s worth of textbooks in recent years can certainly appreciate the value of a John and Abigail Adams scholarship.”

Fitzpatrick noted that last year, the John and Abigail Adams Scholarships were among nearly $1 million in renewable scholarships and awards earned by Valley Tech graduates. 

The following members of the BVT Class of 2015 (listed alphabetically by town) were recently informed of their eligibility for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship:

Upton

Derek Briggs, Charles Brodeur, Julia Calianos, Alexia DeDeus, Parker Grant, Megan Lavoie, Adriana Mattingly, Gabriella Melnick, David Morais, Emerson Mulhern, Danielle Reed, Abbigail Sheehan, Domenique Silvestri, Samantha Smith, Nathan Zaslow.

Mendon

Brittany Gaulin, Hannah Goddard, Zachary Leung, Adriana Maron, Francesca Niro, Eric Peterson, Makayla Smith.

Bellingham

John Beane, Jeremy Laprade, Zachary Milot, Austin Steeves, Suzanne Wright.

Douglas

Kyle Dowen, Brandon Gosselin, Kathryn Kelly, Elizabeth Mielnicki, Anthony Milani, Celia Smith.

Grafton

Brian Barthelme, Ryan Chevalier, Lisa Davis, Mikayla Henault, Mackenzie McLaughlin, Jaci Silva Sa.

Hopedale

Brittany Firth, Carly Martino, James Symmes, Ryan Whitesell.

Milford

Owen Amour, Veronica Auger, James Chakalos, David Hachey, Katelyn Lasser, Samson O’Brien, Johnathan Saniuk.

Millbury

Adam Burdzel, Justin Paquette.

Millville

Ella Dehestani, Shane McCabe.

Northbridge

Dillon Arnold, Jessica Carneiro, Michael Demeritt, Patrick Murphy, Shannon Deiana, Samantha Fields, Joseph Fitman, David Maas, Melissa Mello, Jeremiah Norcross, Jacob O’Donnell.

Sutton

Jacob Bisson, Eric Carkin, Vanessa Malloy, Leah Perry.

Uxbridge

Bryce DeMers, Emma Frey, Rose Hynes, David Lozeau, Kayla Lyons, Sophie Makowski, Jocelyn O’Brien, Jacob Rota, Isadora Silva, Timothy Tetreault, Lindsey Thiebault, Sydney Volpe.

Blackstone Valley