State House ceremony honors MCLA students
Seen here at the annual Tsongas Scholarship Luncheon at the State House are (l-r) Frederick Clark, executive officer of the Massachusetts State College Council of Presidents; Steven King, MCLA registrar; Rachel Churchill, a Tsongas Scholar from the MCLA Class of 2006; Thaleia Tsongas Schlesinger, sister of the late Senator Paul E. Tsongas; Alex Marshall, a Tsongas Scholar and MCLA sophomore; Denise Richardello, vice president of enrollment management and external relations at MCLA; and Dr. Charles Desmond, chairman of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Seven Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students were honored at the State House November 16 during the annual Senator Paul E. Tsongas Scholarship Luncheon.
The seven sophomores are recipients of Tsongas Scholarships, which offer the state’s top students full scholarships to one of the nine state colleges in Massachusetts. The awards cover in-state tuition and fees for up to four years, which amounts to approximately $6,800 each year.
In a packed ceremony attended by Thaleia Tsongas Schlesinger, sister of the late Senator Paul Tsongas, Senate President Therese Murray, State Treasurer Timothy Cahill, and many other dignitaries, 53 students were recognized for their academic talents and dedication by being named Tsongas Scholars.
Also present were Secretary of Education Paul Reville, numerous state senators and representatives, and Jay Curley, senior vice president of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the event sponsor.
MCLA English major Alex Marshall of Somerset was on hand with his parents, Jeffrey and Elizabeth Marshall. “I am honored to be a part of the legacy of Senator Tsongas, and thankful for all that his scholarship has done for my family and me,” he said.
Former Tsongas Scholar Rachel Churchill ’06 also represented MCLA at the State House. Churchill, who grew up in Hampden and lives in North Quincy, is a 2009 graduate of Suffolk University Law School. She starts work at a Boston law firm after Thanksgiving.
“MCLA gave me the opportunity to do everything I wanted, and I think being granted the Tsongas Scholarship was recognition that I would take advantage of all those opportunities,” she said. “Those opportunities and advantages were very encouraging when I entered law school.”
Monday’s ceremony also honored current MCLA Tsongas Scholars Andrew Bagley of Uxbridge, Edward Damon of Halifax, Katelynn Larson of Norton, Edward Manak of Webster, Christine Pavao of Swansea, and Colleen Smith of Wendell.
Scholarship awards are merit-based, and financial need is not required for eligibility. In order to renew Tsongas Scholarship funding, students must maintain a minimum 3.3 grade point average and fulfill requirements set by individual colleges in the program.
The program was launched in 1998 by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education as a tribute to the late Paul E. Tsongas, who died in 1997. It was designed to further Senator Tsongas' belief in the value of education and the importance of public colleges and universities in providing all citizens access to academic excellence.
Senator Tsongas once served as chair of the Massachusetts Board of Regents of Higher Education, the precursor to today's Board of Higher Education.
