|
Three Springfield Students Receive Full-Tuition
Scholarships To Attend Smith College
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- In recognition
of their academic achievements and contributions to their
schools and communities, three students from Springfield's
public school system were awarded scholarships to attend
Smith College, beginning this fall, as part of the college's
Springfield Partnership.
The full-tuition scholarships,
which will cover each recipient's entire tuition for four
years, are the centerpiece of the Smith/Springfield Partnership.
Now in its fifth year, the partnership aims to strengthen
ties between Smith and the state's third most populous
city, which is located about 16 miles south of Northampton.
The
recipients of the Springfield Partnership scholarships are
Lizmarie López, who graduated this spring from
Springfield's High School of Science and Technology, and
Anielka Sanchez and Long-Chau Van, both graduates of the
city's High School of Commerce. All three students have enrolled
to attend Smith.
Sanchez and Van are the first students chosen from the High
School of Commerce for the program.
López, who moved to Springfield from Puerto Rico
with her family, has participated in a wide range of activities
during her high school years. An avid musician, she played
the saxophone in the concert and jazz bands at her school
for four years. A member of the school's "As Schools
Match Wits" team, López is a three-year member
of her school's National Honors Society chapter and served
as president her senior year. She was also recognized as
a MassMutual Academic Achiever. López has been an
active volunteer in her community, raising funds for UNICEF
and the Key Club, all while holding a part-time job at a
local restaurant and babysitting.
At Smith, López plans
to study natural sciences and foreign languages in anticipation
of a possible career in health-related fields. She is the
daughter of Norma Iris Ortiz and Benjamin López.
Since
immigrating to Springfield from her native Nicaragua in
1999, Sanchez has orchestrated an impressive transition to
successful high school life, eventually mastering English,
gaining recognition as a MassMutual Academic Achiever and
a Renaissance Student of the Week and earning American Legion
Scholastic Achievement honors. With particular interest in
world affairs, Sanchez took part in her school's Key Club
chapter and coordinated a school recycling program, while
serving as vice president of her chapter of the National Honors Society.
Sanchez was voted the most dedicated member of her track
and field team and played on the soccer team.
At Smith, Sanchez
plans to major in anthropology. She is the daughter of
Catalina Luciano of Springfield.
Van, who settled in Springfield
with her family after leaving Vietnam in 1992, has proven
herself as a leader in her school, both academically and
athletically, as well as in volunteer activities in her
community. She served as vice president and secretary for
her class' student government and was appointed captain of
the volleyball and tennis teams. Actively involved in Springfield's
Vietnamese community, Van received the Vietnamese Community
Award of Excellence every year in high school. A member of
her school's National Honor Society chapter, she was recognized
as a MassMutual Academic Achiever and won a National Science
Foundation Award of Excellence.
At Smith, Van is considering
studying biology. She is the daughter of Phu Bat Van and
the late Thu-Huong Thi Tran.
Scholarship recipients were
selected by Smith admission officers, faculty members and
administrators from among qualified applicants to the college.
The
Springfield Partnership is one of a series of initiatives
the college has undertaken to expand its ties to its urban
neighbor. Undergraduate volunteers provide tutoring and life
skills training at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Community
Center and in a number of Springfield middle and high schools.
Also, Smith established a partnership with Springfield's
K5 Gerena Community School in 2003, in which students
participate as interns, tutors and teaching assistants. Each
year, 25 Gerena students are granted scholarships to attend
the Smith Northampton Summer School Program.
Founded in 1875,
Smith College is consistently ranked among the nation's
best liberal arts colleges. Enrolling students from every
state and 60 other countries, it is the largest undergraduate
women's college in the United States.
-30-
|
Office of College
Relations
Smith College
Garrison Hall
Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 |
|
Marti
Hobbes
News Assistant
T (413) 585-2190
F (413) 585-2174
mhobbes@email.smith.edu
|
|
