Scholarship available

SPRINGFIELD The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) announces the 2nd Annual Ron Schetzel Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

The scholarship will be awarded to a student currently enrolled (part-time or full-time) in an accredited college or university in the Pioneer Valley. In order to be eligible for the award, applicants must currently be in good academic standing, possessing a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Applicants must also demonstrate satisfactory progress toward the achievement of an undergraduate degree program related to tourism or hospitality (hotel administration, hotel/restaurant management, culinary arts, travel and tourism administration, etc.). Additional criteria are included in the scholarship application form.

The scholarship was created to honor the life's work of the late Ron Schetzel. Schetzel was a former GSCVB Chairman of the Board, longtime sales manager at the Hotel Northampton and also a cofounder of the GSCVB's Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence program, which celebrates its 10th year anniversary in May.

Applications may be obtained by calling Bonny Bernat at the GSCVB at 413-755-1344. Applications must be postmarked on or before March 24, 2006, and mailed to Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, (Scholarship Review Committee), 1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103 in order to be considered.

A committee appointed by the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau will review the applications, interview candidates if deemed necessary, and then make a final selection. The winner will be notified by April 14, 2006 and will receive the award at the 11th Annual Howdy Awards Dinner to be held on May 16, 2006 at the Springfield Marriott. At that time, the winner will receive a check in the amount of $1,000, made payable to the student and their college or university.

The scholarship is funded by the Bureau. Businesses and private individuals interested in making a contribution to the scholarship fund are invited to do so in order to make this effort possible with each coming year. For further information on how to make your contribution, please contact: Bonny Bernat at (413)-755-1344 or e-mail to bbernat@valleyvisitor.com.