Home Builders Association awards 16 scholarships to trade students

SPRINGFIELD The Home Builders Association of Western Massachusetts (HBA-WM) will host their annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on June 12 at the Home Builders Association in Springfield to formally recognize the achievements of eight Member Scholarship Program recipients, six Vocational Scholarship/Tool Acquisition Award recipients and two Vocational Scholarship recipients.

To have been eligible for the $1,000 HBA-WM Member Scholarship Program, the applicant had to be affiliated with a member or the employee of a member company. The association also awarded 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 13 schools in their service area of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties to recommend an exemplary student to receive 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 13 area trade schools could apply and compete for this scholarship. Since the inception of these programs, the association has awarded $276,000 to deserving students.

The 16 individuals selected as the 2008 HBA-WM scholarship recipients include Ryan Adler of Richmond, who will attend Berkshire Community College; Michele Anderson of East Longmeadow, who will attend Salve Regina University; Nick Batanglo of Windsor, who is employed by Adams Plumbing and Heating; John Booth III of Sturbridge, who is employed at R and D Construction; Alyssa Geran of Westborough, who attend the University of Maryland; Alyssa Gilfoil of Springfield, who will attend Springfield Technical Community College; Haley Johnson of East Longmeadow, who attends the University of Rhode Island; Kelsey Johnson of East Longmeadow, who attends Quinnipiac University; Sebastian Lamoureux of Granby, who is employed by Ron Archambault Building and Remodeling; Victoria LeMay of Monson, who will attend Arcadia University; Anna Lyke of Cheshire, Conn., who will attend the University of New Hampshire; Steffanie Meyer of Chicopee, who will attend Clemson University; Taylor Pichette of Westhampton, who attends Northeastern University; James Shepard of Chicopee, who is employed by Chicopee Glass; Brian Webber of Longmeadow, who will attend Morrisville State College; and Tyler Worden of Colrain, who will attend Greenfield Community College.

The association applauds the achievements of these individuals and wishes them well in their future endeavors.