Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Four Berkshire Taconic Scholarship Funds Award Over $17K in Scholarships to Northeast Dutchess Students

August 10, 2011

SHEFFIELD, MA—Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation today announced that over $300K in scholarships have been awarded to 172 students throughout the region. Four scholarship funds awarded over $17,500 to students from Northeast Dutchess County. The funds—the Alice and Richard Henriquez Fund, Rhoda Lubalin Art Scholarship Fund, Tabor Foundation Fund and the Millerton Grange Scholarship Fund--made awards to 4 students.

Maeve O'Dea, program director at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation said, "More scholarship funds have opened at the foundation this year and our investments are building more assets for existing funds. This is terrific news for the students of our communities. As we all know, a college education is often a pre-requisite for successfully navigating the world ahead. Many of our young people come from families who have not gone to college, and a robust scholarship program is key to opening new doors for our students. We’re also proud that many of our scholarship programs, are renewable…in other words, a student can be supported throughout their four years of college and some even into graduate school."

The Rhoda Lubalin Art Scholarship Fund awards graduates of Webutuck Jr/Sr High School who are planning to pursue a career in the visual arts. This year a scholarship was awarded to Alyson Carpenter to attend Mercy College.

The Millerton Grange Scholarship supports residents of Millerton with preference given to students planning to study agricultural or agribusiness. This year’s scholarship went to Jessica McGarry to attend SUNY Buffalo.

The Violet H. Simmons Scholarship Fund awards an outstanding graduate of Webutuck Jr/Sr High School a four-year scholarship totaling $12,000. This year's Simmons Scholar is Shane Lyle, who will be studying business at SUNY Oneonta.

The Tabor Foundation Scholarship Fund awards residents of Northeast Dutchess or Northwest Litchfield Counties who plan to undertake training in a field of healthcare and to seek employment in Northeast Dutchess or Northwest Connecticut. This year a scholarship was awarded to Northeast Dutchess resident Sarah Marshall to attend Mercy College.

The winner of the $1,000 Alice and Richard Henriquez Essay Contest is Aera Belliveau of Amenia, NY.

To make a donation to any of these scholarship funds, to apply for grants and scholarships or for more information, please go online or call 413.229.0370.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of northwest Litchfield County, CT; Berkshire County, MA; and Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY, acting as an agent for positive change in the region. Since 1987, Berkshire Taconic has managed a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and businesses. Each year, the foundation distributes over $7 million through grants and scholarships for programs in the arts and education, health and human services and environmental protection, helping thousands of donors achieve their philanthropic goals and hundreds of nonprofits carry on their good work. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

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