Berkshire Bank Foundation Announces Scholarship Winners
$36,000 being Awarded to Students Active in their CommunitiesPITTSFIELD, Mass., - Berkshire Bank announced today that it has selected 18
high school seniors to receive $2,000 scholarships through its new Berkshire Bank Foundation Scholarship Program. Three of the winners are from the Capital District in New York and were awarded their scholarships at an Awards Ceremony held today at Berkshire Bank’s Vly Road branch in Colonie. The ceremony was attended by the recipients and their parents, school officials and Bank personnel. A total of 32 employees and 10 community leaders reviewed more than 100 applications to select the winners. The winners all live in regions served by Berkshire Bank. In addition to New York, the recipients come from western Massachusetts and southern Vermont. The scholarships were awarded to students who have exemplified community service through their volunteer efforts, have been successful academically and have a demonstrated financial need. Only high school seniors attending high schools in communities served by Berkshire Bank were eligible to apply. The scholarship program highlights the Foundation’s support for education and the Bank’s commitment to promote
volunteerism in the community.The three New York recipients are:
Ocasio Willson – Albany High school
Xiaoxi Niu – Bethlehem Central High School
Stephanie Trichilo – Colonie Central High School
Foundation Executive Director Peter J. Lafayette said, “We were pleased with the quality of the applicants for the first year of our scholarship program. They represent the best of high school seniors who have made a positive difference in their schools and communities. By targeting these scholarships to these young leaders, we hope to encourage volunteerism among young people that will lead to a lifetime of community service.”
In 2008, Berkshire Bank began a bank-wide Employee Volunteer Program in
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which employees participate in group projects that benefit non-profit organization and the community. The Bank believes that promoting volunteerism at an early age will benefit both the volunteers and communities and will hopefully lead to on-going community involvement. The new Scholarship Program is a continuation of that philosophy.
