good evening everybody my name is David list I'm the new principal uh not I guess been almost the end of a year but new principal at hollison high school um and it really is an honor to be here tonight uh for the scholarship evening for the class of 24 this annual event uh we come together to celebrate our senior's achievement and the community's generosity the scholarship foundations and Community or organizations play a vital role in connecting our students with the rich history of Holliston High School and the broader hollison community Through the dedication Foundation able to support our students Futures and recognize their hard work each scholarship recipient tonight has been carefully chosen by the specific foundations or organizations they present we are fortunate to have many of these foundations we we are fortunate that many of these foundations and organizations represented here this evening your presence here underscores the strong bonds that make our community so special this evening we will present 83 Awards to 63 deserving recipients account amounting to over [Applause] $157,000 these Awards not only represent financial support but also the belief our community has in the potential of our students congratulations to all of our scholarship recipients your hard work dedication and achievements have brought you to this moment we're incredibly proud of each of you we're excited to see the great things you will accomplish in the future thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this evening possible your support and generosity are greatly appreciated so let's enjoy this evening together as we celebrate the success of our students in the spirit of the hollison community the first scholarship this evening is the Holliston scholarship found sorry the Holliston Scholarship Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that raises money to distribute scholarships to hollison graduates established in 1964 the hollison Scholarship Foundation has provided more than $2 million to graduating seniors who died in Holliston 98% of funds raised are directly distributed to seniors every year this evening 33 scholarships will be awarded to the class of 24 by the foundation our first Foundation Award of the evening is the Justin D brocker scholarship this year two awards are given in memory of Justin brocker by his friends and family Justin was a Holliston resident and graduate of Holliston High School while at HHS Justin developed a passion for computers that he shared with his lifelong friends he parlayed this passion into a successful career in software development these Awards will be given to graduates pursuing a degree in computer science or related Technology field presenting this evening is Mr Dylan [Applause] Lane welcome thank you thank you I definitely paused at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Applause that was never coming some things never change my name is Dylan Lane uh and it is my great honor to give out uh two Awards tonight about the Justin D brocker scholarship we've given it uh now for eight consecutive years this being the eth um he stole a lot of the explanation about how and what we're doing here um but let me tell you a little bit about why my friend uh Justin bookard um met in these Halls we were friends long after uh passed away suddenly and tragically and it was confusing and it was sad uh so we were motivated by action to do something in his memory um many things I suppose in his memory but the scholarship was one of them there's a desire in me to tell you stories about him um that will impart how Charming he was and how funny he was and how incredibly smart he was um ways to help you understand uh more than anything though it's these things now a few years past um that are more difficult to measure yes he was perhaps the smartest person that I ever met and yes he was absolutely one of the most successful people that I may ever know um he was also one of the tallest um he was so incredibly kind and generous and thoughtful and such a Wonder ful friend and so giving and these things that are much more difficult to transmit about him so I suspect tonight you'll hear lots of advice about what to do when you uh leave the walls of Holliston High School and go off into your career or your undergraduate studies um but let me leave you with this be a person of substance be caring be giving because in the long lens of History it is not Justin's success or his incredible wit that I recall the most um but the lasting change he made on the world so with that please uh help me in celebrating our two recipients for the 2024 Justin D brockard scholarship AA Gupta and Adam Wright come on up [Applause] Adam coming in from the other side congratulations thank you thank you very much our next scholarship is the Eliz Elizabeth stillings Brooks Memorial Scholarship are given are given in memory of Elizabeth stilling Brooks a longtime hollison resident who was very active in the Holliston community and the mother of three Holliston High School graduates the awards are given to students who demonstrate a passion for writing and are presented by Mr Robert [Applause] Brooks uh good evening everyone uh my name is uh Bob Brooks and I'm behalf of the Brooks and stillings family I'm here to present the eth annual uh scholarship in memory of my light wife Elizabeth who passed away in 2016 after a long battle with breast cancer with Beth's passing our family wanted to find a way that we could give back to the community in a meaningful way that would both preserve her memory and support further education for the students of Holliston this award does both of those things to date with the support of the hollison Scholarship Foundation along with many friends and relatives we have awarded over $60,000 in scholarships to in Beth's memory Beth always had a passion for English and the art Arts she was an English major at Colby College and went on to have a career as a developmental editor at Simon and Schuster she was a big believer in Liberal Arts education and developing strong writing and communication skills she was an Avid Reader who especially loved F fiction often discussing and analyzing the books she was reading with friends and family she had a passion for creative writing and continued to write poetry and short stories throughout her life it is for these reasons that we felt this scholarship award should go to a student with a strong interest in English creative writing Andor the Arts the 2024 applicants for this scholarship were all truly outstanding all had amazing academic accomplishments contributions to the community and some incredible writing and artistic submissions once again this year we've decided to award two scholarships we know Beth would be very proud to have these two students receive the scholarship in her memory we are pleased to announce that the winners of the 2024 Elizabeth stillings Brooks Memorial Scholarship are Grace bergette and Maya Rosa [Applause] con the Matthew damigella award is given in memory of Matthew damigella a graduate of hollison high school and a member of the class of 1992 this award funded by Matthew's family friends and the Holliston Scholarship Foundation will be given to a student pursuing education in Ocean studies or music presenting this evening are Carol damella and Melanie Harrington [Applause] thank you and congratulations to everyone here tonight this scholarship is given in memory of my brother Matthew damigella who lost his battle with cancer in January of 20123 Matthew graduated from Holliston High School in 1992 and those that knew him may find it amusing that we're doing a scholarship in his name my brother always used to say I don't break the rules I just shake up the system and he sure did that here at his time at HHS and really his whole life keeping my mother the teachers and the administrators on their toes my brother was playful magnetic quick with a joke Larger than Life and loved by all he was happiest out on his tractor in the woods working on the ocean or playing his instruments so we thought it would be fitting to give this award to someone that is pursuing higher education in Ocean studies or music my brother was Adam about living life on your own terms and pursuing your passions so I hope that as you all leave Holliston High School you do just that my mother and I would like to present this year's Matthew damigella scholarship award to stie Plotkin who will be continuing her education at Champlain College and who spoke beautifully in her essay about her love and connection with music and the ocean s's unable to be here this evening but we will make sure to get this award to her thank you [Applause] the Donna R Keenan award is given in memory of Donna Keenan a Holliston resident for many years and the mother of three students who graduated from hollison high school the award is given by her family and the hollison Scholarship Foundation presenting this evening is Mr Christopher Keenan [Applause] thank you it's a different format this year there's no table of uh friends I saw some [Laughter] friends thank you for the introduction every year I look forward to this night not only is it an opportunity to acknowledge the graduating classes achievements and accomplishments over the past 4 years but it's an opportunity for we the presenters to connect the memory of someone who was important to us to a message of recognition encouragement and belief in you and in your potential another reason I look forward to this night is that the process of choosing a recipient involves taking time to stop and reflect on Donna's life and what was meaningful to her and to be guided to who I believe she would have wanted to receive this award for me the final decision always comes down to making a connection with a recipient it's quite a process and every year it's different sometimes the connection is made by a sentence or two in the applicant's essay or in the guidance counselor's recommendation letter or a phrase that stands out or even a single word somewhere in the application package this year was no different I'd like to congratulate and wish the best of luck to Maya Kirin this year's recipient of Donna Keenan annual scholarship award Mayo will be attending Meredith College in the fall [Applause] the Masonic Lodge award are given by the mount Hollis Masonic lodge and the Holliston Scholarship Foundation to seniors who demonstrate the Masonic traditions of Tolerance service and charity in the community presenting this evening is Mr Matt [Applause] Bowie so this is my uh third year being involved thank you uh third year being involved in the selection but first year coming to present I just want to say what an impressive effort that this is by the Holliston Scholarship Foundation the amount of uh organization and effort that they put into it is Herculean so I guess uh now for the story uh so uh the Freemasons we're the world's largest and oldest Fraternal Order we offer our unique blend of camaraderie personal growth and community service joining the Freemasons means stepping into a world full of rituals symbols and history all while building lifelong friendships and making positive impact on society whether you're drawn by the allore of its Secrets or the opportunity to contribute to a greater good the Freemasons provide a fascinating and fulfilling Journey like no other my name as you heard is Matt Bowie uh and I had the privilege of joining Mount Hollis Lodge a little bit after most of these students were born 16 years ago and the members uh the members commitment to each other and the community had always impressed me as a part of these efforts and part partnership with the Holliston Scholarship Foundation we formed the mount Hollis scholarship 7 years ago and just last year we offered it to two recipients effectively doubling our contribution and why you ask uh we were so impressed uh so impressed by the impact that the applicants had on our community uh whether it was setting up a interface uh for the food pantry or Suicide Prevention or several other amazing efforts the members of Lodge wanted to show a token of our thanks uh to the scholarship so for our scholarship we seek not only Community involvement but more importantly our effort is not for your scholarship or your or your um needs-based it's for leadership in community efforts this year's winners LED efforts both locally and nationally to build leaders and raise awareness of History One LED her class in so many ways including as an elected officer and another drove local effort to raise funds in honor of our servicemen and women in each case the list of accomplishments was long we couldn't be more proud so for the first time for our lodge we selected two sisters who have been absolute Treasures to the town of Holliston and on behalf of the Brethren of Mount Hollis Lodge we con congratulate Rees and Taran Holmes [Applause] you the remaining Foundation awards are presented by Mr William fips a graduate of holl high school and vice president of the Holliston Scholarship [Applause] Foundation the first award he will present the Peter Sawyer award this year three awards are given in men in memory of Peter Sawyer a Holliston resident for over 25 years and parent to two Holliston High graduates the awards are given to students pursuing an education in a technology related field the recipients are bavy male Eris Ry and Joseph Thomas Elli congratulations you congratulations thank you the Elaine mitso Memorial Scholarship is awarded in memory of Elaine mitso who was a hollison middle school special education teacher for 36 years she was a tireless Champion for her students and found the utmost joy in them throughout her career she created unique bonds with each of them looking out for not just her AC not just their academic success but their whole s to honor the incredible work in memory of Mrs mitso her daughters in partnership with the hollon Scholarship Foundation created this scholarship the recipient is kala gum the Virginia Aldrich mcgrain award is given in memory of Virginia Aldrich mcgrain a longtime Holliston resident and major benefactor of the Holliston Scholarship Foundation this award is presented to Rashmi kaparthy [Applause] [Laughter] the Ethan bag Memorial Scholarship Ethan was a member of the graduating class of 2016 while at HHS Ethan was a member of The Ultimate Frisbee and hockey teams being a good teammate and representing hollison High School were some of the most enjoyable times in his life this Memorial Scholarship was established by his family shortly after his death in December of 2020 Ethan did not quite complete his degree at UMass amher and when he passed there were some remaining Assets in his college account these funds along with generous donations from family and friends and others who were touched by Ethan during his life are the foundation that will help perpetuate the Ethan bag award the recipient is Liam [Applause] Jensen congratulations the terase S kaval scholarship award this scholarship is given in memory of Terry kaval a longtime World Language educator in the Holliston Public Schools who was a dynamic teacher for 38 years and the first teacher of the French imersion class in Holliston and the K12 World Language coordinator for the district this annual scholarship is given by her family and friends and will be awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the study of World Language strong academic performance and a high level of citizenship in the community the recipient is Samantha [Applause] zappelin the Mary C Flatley scholarship award is given in memory of Mary Flatley a highly regarded Holliston High School teacher for 20 years during her tenure at hollison High School Mary was many things to many people to quote one of her students Miss flatly was a beloved Teacher book lover dog mother a forc to be reckoned with a fierce Advocate and inspirational leader this award is given in memory of Mary by her family friends colleagues and the Holliston Scholarship Foundation this year's recipient is Rachel Griffith the Holliston Business Association scholarships are funded by the Holliston Business Association and given through the hollison Scholarship Foundation to graduating seniors who will pursue a degree in a business related field the recipients are Vanessa D Simone Saki karney and David Villa congratulations conratulations David thank congratulations thank you so much congratulations thank you congratulations the committee and award has been given for over 25 years in memory of longtime hollison High School principal bed Ross commedian and also in memory of his wife Helen who were both supporters of quality education in Holliston and the Holliston Scholarship Foundation this year's recipient is Jana Patel thank you so much the Joseph larcy award is given in memory of Joey larcy a member of the hollison High School class of 2010 since 2009 the lares have given over $100,000 in scholarship Awards to students in memory of their son and will continue to give to give an award in his name to a member of every graduating class at hollison high school this year's recipient is James paresi okay the Andrew Lynn award is given in memory of Andrew Lynn a former student at hollison high school this is the scholarship foundation's oldest dedicated award the recipient is Albert Savino little beehive Farm award is sponsored by Tony lulik of little beehive farm and the hollison Scholarship Foundation and is awarded to a hollison senior pursuing further education in the field of Agriculture organic farming agriculture education horiculture floriculture environmental Sciences Wildlife Sciences or other related fields the recipient of this award is Aiden Daly the Beth lion award is given in memory of Beth lion a member of the class of 1985 this award is given to a student who has demonstrated interest and skill in English and writing this award is presented to Kira Lamy the Thomas and Marjorie Lions award is given in memory of Thomas lions and his wife marjerie by their family friends and the hollison Scholarship Foundation both were actively involved in the hollison community for many years Tom served on the school committee and was an avid supporter of quality public schools in Holliston preferences given to a student who will study business or music the recipient is Olivia [Applause] kusus the Fred W Miller award is given in memory of Fred Miller longtime superintendent of Holliston Public Schools and a major benefactor of the Holliston Scholarship Foundation the award is presented to Riley [Applause] Harrington congratulations the Doug Perry and Linda Frank award is given in memory of Doug Perry and Linda Frank both graduates of the Holliston High School class of 1975 and is given to a student who displays an interest and talent in the visual arts and who has also demonstrated a commitment to community service the recipient of this award is Billy mcarter the William and Alice fips award is given in the name of William fips and in memory of his wife Alice both lifelong residents of Holliston and graduates of Holliston High School William fips has been a driving force in the Scholarship Foundation for over 25 years this year's recipient is Kevin sahian the Sam placentino award is given in memory of Sam placentino a former longtime superintendent of schools and architect of the Holliston Public Schools the placentino elementary school is named in his honor the recipient of the award is Allison Lee the Jack quinley Memorial Scholarship is given in memory of Jack quinley the son of hollison high school teacher Don quinley Jack was a 2019 graduate of Carver High School with plans to enter the Marine Corps this award is given by Jack's family friends and the Holliston Scholarship Foundation the recipient of this award is Zara hair [Applause] congratulations the Thompson award is given in memory of Richard Thompson a local business person and member of the school committee and his life partner Peggy enquist both were Avid supporters of the hollison public schools and the hollison Scholarship Foundation the recipient is emiline [Applause] stel congratulations the Washington Street players award is given by hollis's Community Theater group to a graduating senior who has participated on stage or behind behind the scenes in Holliston High School's drama and musical Productions presenting this evening is Miss Karen [Applause] dhart hello everybody wow it seems like yesterday I was sitting right where all of these parents were sitting but it was almost a decade ago that doesn't seem right um I am the artistic director of Washington Street players in case you didn't know Holliston actually does have a theater group here in town uh we are a nonprofit theater Group which means the money all goes back into our Productions and also goes back to other nonprofit groups as well as a graduating senior uh let's see at wsp we are committed to supporting the Arts in the school system um we would love it if there was actually a drama program in the school system not just outside of school so hopefully we'll work on that um we believe a well-rounded education means being exposed to the creative process to teamwork and thinking outside the box we asked the students to write an essay telling us about the skills that they learned in their High School theater experience and how they can apply those skills in the future we had nine wonderful applicants and we wish that we could give each and every one of them a scholarship this year the recipient of the Washington Street players scholarship goes to William [Applause] cohane the Kathleen P Webster Memorial Scholarship is given in memory of Kathleen Webster a devoted Holliston high school English teacher for 33 years and is funded by her family friends and the Holliston Scholarship Foundation the recipient of this award is Phoebe [Applause] warberg congratulations you do good for a kid and now for our community scholarships the Olivia Barrett Bergstrom scholarship is given in memory of Olivia Bergstrom a 2016 graduate of hollison high school presenting are Miss Kirin Miss Kirin Bergstrom and Mr Charlie mcgandy [Applause] Olivia's scholarship is given each year in memory of Olivia's passion and drive when she found a passion she always wanted to share it with others this year's recipient told us about his passion for the sport of wrestling how he worked with his brother um during the pandemic to find a love of the sport and to motivate others to try it out he will continue to explore his passion in college while sting another passion in love of chemistry this year's Olivia scholarship goes to Zachary [Applause] Robinson kavant energy is a leader in the development and operation of large scale waste energy projects and takes pride in working closely with the communities and supporting their many programs and activities kantza energy award scholarships to students who demonstrate awareness of the importance of the environment the recipients this year are Lily gdis and sha McLoud [Applause] the diamond Awards provided by the Joseph and Faith tiberio Foundation are presented this evening by Miss faith dhy and Miss Faith [Applause] foyer thank you it's really an honor to be here this evening and I'd just like to tell you a little bit about the diamond award the year was 1949 and the place was Holliston Massachusetts where it decorated World War II veteran and his wife began the centry manufacturing company Joseph and Faith tiberio embodied all the noble characteristics of the greatest generation and Word of Mouth of the exceptional quality and fairness of price set the company apart the company thrived under Joseph and Faith's leadership becoming a global entity offering Green Solutions complex metal Fabrications and Engineering capabilities an interesting example of its expertise was centry tywood contribution to the creation of the Flur camera which was used to capture the marathon on bomber more recently the employees were recognized by the Govern governor of Massachusetts for their patriotic work pumping out ventilator parts to save lives during the covid pandemic the Joseph W and Faith K tiberio charitable Foundation was founded on the tiberio Family's culture of Honor truth fairness and meeting every challenge although the company is no longer owned and operated by nor does it employ any member of the tiberio family the foundation continues to uphold their legacy the diamond Awards derived from a desire to give back to the community Where it All Began scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who wish to pursue a career in aspects related to Manufacturing recipients of the diamond Ward are selected from a field of gems to be polished by further education and become a Guiding Light for the good of humanity and we're very pleased to give out three Awards and they go to lisis koni if you would all come up together um Lewis canoni Steven Robinson and Sarah Walters you have thank you welcome congratulations thank you so much pronouncing my name correctly thank you very much appreciate it the four kicks outstanding student athlete Awards four kicks a sports location for family and team sports is pleased to recognize two outstanding student athletes who show leadership are multi-talented and can balance academic academics work and sports the recipients are Maxwell Cody and Vanessa D [Applause] Simone the Dorothy B Stevens Garden Club scholarship is presented by Miss Alice Valley and miss Karen Pinkham hello everyone this scholarship was founded by Dorothy B Stevens a former Club president who recognized the importance of preserving our natural world and though whose dreams it was to encourage young people to pursue careers in horiculture it was awarded annually to a candidate planning to major in horiculture botney landscape design forestry environmental science Land Management or other Garden related fields our winner will be majoring in environmental science while attending the University of British Columbia plans to create more green space Community Gardens and urban sustainability of very important to the student we are thrilled to announce that Aaron P vinsky I hope I said it right is the recipient of the Holliston Garden Club [Applause] scholarship congratulations the Holliston athletic athletic booster Association scholarships each year through a random drawing habba offers scholarships to seniors who have participated in sports all four years at HHS and have been members of habba during those years a random drawing took place last week by the HHS School counseling staff presenting the awards are Miss Michelle presenting the awards is Miss Michelle Hastings do you have one oh you have one okay is he Brash sorry Al together Ryan I apologize I'm gonna say your last name the wrong way can you lovak ran lovak Samantha Smith and Joseph Thomas Elli the Holliston Federation of teacher Scholars ship award is presented by Miss Jamie [Applause] Kone the Holliston Federation of teachers is our local union comprised of teachers par professionals and secretaries here at Holliston Public Schools each year the hft uh Awards a scholarship to a graduate of Holliston High School who has demonstrated knowledge of labor issues and the history of the labor movement this year I'm pleased to provide this scholarship to the lovely Sarah Buckley The hollison Hub cable Access TV scholarships are presented by Miss Heidi [Applause] Gibson hello I'm here as a board member of your friendly local cable access television Our Miss at the Holliston Hub is to be a vital source of information for Holliston through award-winning programming that unites and strengthens our community students who volunteer or intern at the hcat are involved in a unique connection between holl Holliston residents and their Community by joining our team they've delivered authentic stories and have worked to provide essential information that impacts and informs our viewers about school issues and activities I would like to award this year's scholarships to the following three students Danny Bernard William cohain and Charlotte Ward come on up thank you the hollon Lions Club educational assistance awards are presented this evening by Mr Mark [Applause] aronian thank you and congratulations to all of you the Holliston Lions Club is uh one of the largest clubs in the town that does a lot of community service our motto is we serve and serve we do the community of hollison very well with many events and community service and our first award tonight is the Douglas Bloomquist scholarship uh award and Doug Bloomquist was a member of the Holliston Lions Club for many years and served the community uh very well and was also a professor at Framingham State College uh so he's quite an educator as well and this year's recipient is Stephen [Applause] Robinson thank see Stephen here you go congratulations and our other scholarship winners are Sarah Buckley and Flora kill if you would like to come up [Applause] and you are Sarah Buckley there you are thank you congratulations can congratulations Michelle Karo and Sahara and [Applause] Jetty let's see here sarin Jetty Michelle Karu here we are okaycome Rachel Griffith and Riley Harrington [Applause] congratulations sakah karney and Sean mlot [Applause] IIs ropy and Alex shaha [Applause] and the last but not least Samantha soin [Applause] thank you thank you all good [Applause] luck the Holliston music and arts parents Association scholarships will be presented by miss Karen Haynes [Applause] hmap is awarding five scholarships tonight for students who showed a dedication to music art drama chorus band our recipients are Sarah Buckley Calla Calla gum Rachel Henson Nina Nalan and Sarah Walters thank you thank you so much thanks the Holliston PG ESS scholarship award Miss Barbara Ryan has joined me on stage to present the award as I read their prepared statement the Holliston pto's mission is to create a community is to create Community Support educate Community Support education and appreciate staff and teachers each application we received had unique strengths and effectively communicated different aspects of the applicant's experiences and values all of the essays we read were outstanding and worthy of selection ultimately we decided on the scholarship we decided on the scholarship based on the themes and qualities that align best with the values and goals of the PTO the following applicants stood out as particularly aligned with these goals this particular student demonstrates active engagement in creating positive Community supporting peers and younger students and enhancing educational experiences making this student the recipient of the 2024 PTO scholarship congratulations to the class of 24 and congratulations and best of luck in the future to Zachary [Applause] Robinson the hollison Youth Baseball Softball Association scholarships will be presented by Mr Brian McDonald [Applause] thank you very much and it's it's great to be here again tonight just very quickly it it's a great joy to read the applications when people apply for the hipsa scholarships because what the applicants do is they summarize all the things that we as parents hope they learn from you sports right we send our kids to sports because we want them to learn about practice and you can improve yourself and get better as a person and increase your confidence right next set of Lessons Learned is that relationships matter right the the applications talk about the pitch is only as good as the catcher right if you don't have a good catcher it it's going to make a difference on the outcome of the game or if the ball's hit to Short Stop somebody has to make the catch at first base right so those lessons exist and that the relationships between teammates matter and then within those lessons are stories about the people who helped whether it was a parent or otherwise or somebody else's parent who coached who supported who offered inspiration who said to a kid I have confidence in you I know you can do this right so what we get from us Sports is an opportunity to learn life lessons that we can apply Beyond so why does youth baseball and softball office scholarships mostly to plant one seed so Sunday you graduate high school and like people tell you your parents tell you you can do anything you want so the folks from hibu would ask this connect two dots connect the dots of the experiences that you've had so far where you've gotten support from others and where others have had a positive influence on your life because those things matter and we all need them as great as our immediate family may be we all need them for me it came in the form of a high school coach and a guidance counselor and I stand before you an old man remembering them dearly in the influence they had on my life so the dots we ask you to connect are as you think about what it is you might do and that could be anything in the world how might it support others and influence others teacher coach nurse doctor Public Safety whatever it may be as you think about what it is that you might do in life think about how it might have a positive influence in those around you so without further Ado six Awards I'm going to do better than I did last year and read off all six names before one big round for Applause rather than one at a time and keep you here longer than I need to so this year's recipients of the hipsa scholarship Awards Vanessa D Simone Zara ha Nathan McAdams Teddy Peters Jake shenberg and Joey Thomas Elli [Applause] thank you the Holliston Youth Basketball Association Scholarships in addition to their essay submission these students are being recognized for their contributions to their Community particularly the basketball community and for their outstanding accomplishments in the classroom and Beyond the recipients are Aiden Daly Nathan McAdams and Charles Smith thank the hollison Youth Lacrosse Association is proud to offer college scholarships and recognition of deserving graduating seniors who participated in the Holliston euther cross Association program and who displayed leadership integrity and academic accomplishment applicants were asked to submit an essay about what hollison euther lacrosse had meant to to them the recipients are Lucas Haynes and Harrison Smith the Holliston Youth Soccer Association scholarships we are pleased to award scholarships to students who have actively participated in the youth soccer program either as player volunteer umpire or coach applicants were asked to submit an essay on how the the hysa program has positively influenced their lives the recipients are Maya kirstein Alex shahida and Quinn py [Applause] everyone coming from every different direction congratulations the hollison Police Association John Johnson Memorial Scholarship is given in memory of Officer John Johnson and presented by Miss Jessica Ain [Applause] son good evening my name is Jessica Johnson arenson and unfortunately officer Hannah Siara was supposed to be joining me but there was a sensitive case that just occurred at the police station so she will not be joining me this evening but I would like to um let you all know that the Johnson family and the Hollis and police Department established the John Johnson Memorial Scholarship in 2001 for a graduating student wishing to continue their studies in criminal justice the first scholarship went to Sergeant Matthew W who is currently a sergeant at Holliston Police Department um officer John Johnson was my father and those of you who didn't know he was a police officer here in Holliston and unfortunately he was killed in the line of duty and 1981 while protecting our community my brother Brian and I along with many other family members of the Johnson family reside here in Holliston and we are very grateful for the Holliston Police Department and the H Holliston Community for continuing to honor our father brother uncle and police officer this year's scholarship is awarded to a graduating student that will be continuing her education at Ohio State University and although she is not pursuing her um higher education in criminal justice we were very impressed with the recent project that the student and her classmate organized through the service learning class um where a drunk driving stimulator that the National Guard had brought in to show the dangers of um drinking and driving so we'd like to congratulate um Ann Valentini on behalf of the hollon police department and the John and the Johnson family for receiving this scholarship this [Applause] year the Holliston special education parent advisory Council scholarships are presented by Miss Wendy and missina [Applause] Robinson the Holliston special education parent advisory Council so holds several fundraising events each year with the specific goal of giving back to the community we love being able to provide students with funds to help them Reach their educational dreams this is the first year the CPAC is sponsoring a senior scholarship we truly appreciate everyone who applied for it we recognize your hard work and perseverance we have two scholarships to give out this evening thank you again for applying for the Holliston CPAC 2024 scholarship we wish you the best Alex epinger and Calla gum congratulations the Hughes mentorship scholarship is given in memory of Thomas Hughes a long time Holliston resident whose children and grandchildren attended the hollison who attended hollison High School presenting this evening is Miss Annabelle [Applause] Amante hi U my name is Annabella Monte I graduated last year from hon High I'm going to be honest I've tried to write the speech more than I can count I couldn't find the right words and always thought I could have done better Justice to the owner of the scholarship Tom Hughes AKA my grandy I remember sitting in this Auditorium one year ago waiting to hear if IID received a scholarship luckily I did and I still feel as much honor as I did back then to accept a scholarship that has been made in honor of someone else's life and being chosen to be the one to live up to that is an Indescribable feeling when I saw my mom after I had explained this to her she had said to me that my grandma wanted to make a scholarship in honor of my grandpa my grandpy lived an amazing life before I was born and I know I should talk about his troubling education and how he got to where he was before he passed but since I wasn't by a side like most of my family was it feels unjustified to do so so I will focus on what I was able to see gry is my biggest role model and always will be I want others to know the type of person he was through my eyes since I feel like the luckiest girl in the world knowing I was his granddaughter gry was the most dedicated loving and gentle person I've ever met this year it is the third year without it we have made the scholarship to honor his ideas he worked so hard to get where he was and he deserved every ounce of success he never retired he would always tell us after this project or after this deal I'm finally retiring although we never did I've never met someone so dedicated to their work and determined to make everyone in their life happy nothing I say here will be able to describe how my grandy was to grow up next to him is still my greatest honor in life I'm able to implement his ideas into my everyday life we are presenting this award to someone who has shown that they can step up and have the same influence my grandpa did on others someone who motivates the ones close to them congratulations to AIS Ry on receiving the scholarship [Applause] the middlex Savings Bank recognizes a graduating senior who has demonstrated both academic and personal achievements service to one's community and a commitment to others the recipient is priia katri the officer David J Moore memorial service scholarship is given in memory of his officer of Officer Moore a lifelong resident of Holliston who served the town of hollison for 35 years and is presented by Mr John Moore [Applause] good evening and congratulations to all the recipients and also to the parents um you were part of the work uh so my name is John Moore I am the son of Officer Dave Moore um who served this town for 35 years um before that four years in the Navy his whole Adult Career was dedicated to Public Service when he passed away in 2018 we put on his gravestone the quote only a life lived for others is a life worth living with his passing the idea of a scholarship for those pursuing Public Service came to mind and it was born uh Holliston High was the obvious choice my dad was a 1950 graduate of Holliston High and myself and my siblings graduated Between 1979 and 1984 uh since 2019 we have awarded seven scholarships three have gone to criminal justice Majors four have gone to those that have pursued Elementary education both worthy careers in public service uh this year we're awarding the scholarship to a graduating senior pursuing government service her essay stood out to us myself and um my siblings and my mother for uh her initiative her positive attitude and her dedication to the well-being of others so without further Ado please join me in congratulating Sarah Buckley this year's [Applause] recipient you so the Timothy tonell Memorial scholarships are provided by by the Timothy oconnell foundation and are being presented by the oconnell [Applause] family thank you um good evening and congratulations to all the graduating seniors um the Timothy o Connell Memorial Scholarship was established in 2009 to honor the memory of our son Timothy o Connell who died the previous year from acute myoid leukemia as most of you know Tim was just two days past 10 years old the scholarship is awarded to Holliston students who intend to study medicine nursing or other healthc care Sciences again this year our scholarship committee was privileged to receive and review many impressive applications from many qualified candidates the committee decided to recognize two Holliston High School seniors with scholarships these students have the intelligence leadership abilities fortitude and other attributes reminiscent of Tim and no doubt will go far in their chosen fields of study and Beyond congratulations to adtia Gupta and Zara hair [Applause] our final scholarship this evening is the Eric J with Sky Memorial Scholarship it is awarded to students who have made a difference in their community Through extracurricular activities or events community service helping those in need creating opportunities or supporting the community priorities for the Improvement of students and residents the recipients are Rashmi kaparthy Aris ropy and Alexander shahida [Applause] as we come to the close of the evening I want to take a moment to reflect on the significance of what we have celebrated tonight we have witnessed our students remarkable achievement and our community's incredible support come together i' would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the foundation Community organizations and the representatives who have made these scholarships possible your generosity and commitment to our students success are truly inspiring without your support tonight's celebration would not be possible thank you I would also like to thank our school counseling department for their dedication and hard work in supporting our students throughout their High School journey and preparing this evening their efforts and sure each student is given guidance and encouragement needed to reach their fullest potential a special thanks must be said to Miss Valerie cille our school counseling secretary who [Applause] is who has been the Cornerstone of this event Miss Camille's meticulous planning coordination and attention to detail ensured everything ran smoothly tonight her dedication and hard work behind the scenes are deeply appreciated by all of us thank you once again congratulations to our scholarship recipients your achievements are a testament to your hard work determination and support of those around you we are incredibly proud of you and we are excited to see where the future will take you thank you to all the family and friends and community members who joined us tonight for your support and encouragement it means the world to our students and the high school I wish you all a wonderful evening and thank you for participating in this special celebration thank you