Northampton Dollars for Scholars will host its 42nd annual scholarship presentation ceremony May 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Northampton High School.
More than 150 city residents, including high-school seniors and other young people who are pursuing post-secondary education, will be awarded scholarships for the coming school year.
This year’s scholarships, composed on local contributions, total $80,500.
The ceremony will begin at 7 in the Northampton High auditorium. Tom Bassett, president of Northampton Dollars for Scholars, will present welcoming remarks. In all, Northampton Dollars for Scholars has awarded about $1.4 million to over 3,000 city residents since 1975. Scholarships are distributed annually and renewable each year until graduation from college or the post-secondary program. Recipients are selected on a variety of criteria, including high school performance, academic and other interests and community involvement.
Scholarships are given to students who graduate from Northampton and Smith Vocational and Agricultural high schools; Northampton students who attend other schools, including private and charter schools in other communities, are also eligible to apply.
Northampton Dollars for Scholars began thanks to the guidance of former educators and community leaders, including Fred Ames, Ralph Levy, Frank Heston, Kay Sheehan and Russell Cooper. Some of the annual scholarships continue to be awarded in honor of the organization’s founders, as well as in honor of many others who have contributed to the education of the city’s young people.