HBRA-WM to host scholarship ceremony on June 6

Date: 5/29/2013

SPRINGFIELD – The Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Western Massachusetts (HBRA-WM) will host its annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on June 6 at the HBRA in Springfield to formally recognize the achievements of eight Member Scholarship Program recipients, two Vocational Scholarship recipients and six Vocational Scholarship/Tool Acquisition Award recipients.

To have been eligible for the $1,000 HBRA-WM Member Scholarship Program, the applicant had to be affiliated with a member or the employee of a member company. The association also awards area trade and vocational high school students' $500 cash scholarships or tool acquisition awards to further their careers in the building industry. The association issued a request to each of the 14 schools in their service area of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties to recommend an exemplary student to compete for one of these awards.

The association offered vocational school students the option to receive a $1,000 scholarship to the college of their choice. Any vocational student in the 14 area trade schools could apply and compete for this scholarship. Since the inception of these programs, the association has awarded $343,500 to deserving students.

The 16 individuals selected as the 2013 HBRA-WM scholarship recipients include: Dean Bartini of Pittsfield, who attended Taconic High School; Alexandra Buendo of East Longmeadow, who will attend the University of South Carolina; Maria Carlson of Wilbraham, who will attend North Park University; Branden Cavanaugh of Palmer, who will attend Wentworth Institute of Technology; Alex Dargie of Stamford, Vt., who attended McCann Technical School; Gianna DiClementi, of West Springfield, who attends Holyoke Community College; Melanie Gomes of Chicopee, who attends Brandeis University; Meghan Goodrow, who attends Elms College; Courtney Holmes of Sturbridge, who will attend Virginia Tech; Timofey Kirpichev of West Springfield, who attended Lower Pioneer Valley Career and Technical Education Center; Julia Kozlik of Belchertown, who attends Regis College; Bradley Lord of Monson, who attended Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School; Gerald Richardson Jr. of Orange, who attended Franklin County Technical School; Alex Silk of Southwick, who attends Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Heather Tatro, of Granby, who will attend Manhattanville College; and Justin Tomasini of Westfield, who attended Westfield Vocational Technical High School.