AMHERST — A Northampton doctor has donated $100,000 to establish a scholarship at Hampshire College in the memory of his late daughter, Marie Hershkowitz, who taught at the Bridge Street School in Northampton.
Dr. Melvin Hershkowitz said the gift is meant to preserve the memory of his daughter, who died in 2013 four months after the discovery of a malignant glioblastoma brain tumor at age 59.
It’s the second such donation Melvin Hershkowitz has made in his daughter’s memory. Last fall, he donated $100,000 to Bridge Street School, which used the gift to make significant technology upgrades including new laptops, tablets and projectors for the classrooms.
The school also includes a “Marie’s Corner” on its playground. The outdoor memorial consists of a bench bearing her name and a climbing structure in memory of her passion for climbing and the outdoors.
At Hampshire College, the Marie Hershkowitz Memorial Scholarship will provide financial aid to Hampshire students who hope to continue Hershkowitz’s work in childhood education, especially those interested in helping children on the autism spectrum.
“I wanted to preserve her memory in this community, particularly because she made some lifelong friends at Hampshire,” said Melvin Hershkowitz, who lives in Northampton.
Marie Hershkowitz graduated from Hampshire in 1977 and began her career in the college’s library. She later worked in early-childhood intervention for the REACH program and at the Bridge Street School in Northampton.
Her work focused on helping children at risk for developmental delays and those with physical and psychological disabilities.
She received appreciation awards from the Northampton Special Education Parent Advisory Council in 2007 and 2012 in recognition of her work at the elementary school, according to a Hampshire College release.
“Hampshire is delighted and grateful for the opportunity to establish this scholarship in memory of Marie,” Jennifer Lawton, director of financial aid at the college said in a release. “Many deserving students come to Hampshire to study in our innovative Childhood, Youth, and Learning program and will benefit greatly from this new source of support for their education.”
Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com