John and Abigail Adams Scholars from the Class of 2019 are honored

Fifty-eight recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship in the Class of 2019 at Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton were honored recently at a ceremony at the school attended by staff, family members, District School Committee members and legislators from Blue Hills’ nine-town district comprised of Avon, Braintree, Canton, Dedham, Holbrook, Milton, Norwood, Randolph and Westwood.

The distinguished guests included Senator Walter F. Timilty, who delivered the keynote address, Rep. William C. Galvin and Rep. William Driscoll.  Mr. William Buckley, Jr., senior legislative aide to State Rep. John H. Rogers, attended on Rep. Rogers’ behalf. District School Committee member Aidan G. Maguire, Jr. of Canton, who welcomed the guests, and Vice Chair Thomas R. Polito, Jr. of Dedham attended.

According to the web site of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, “The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship provides a tuition waiver for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. The scholarship covers tuition only; fees and room and board are not included. The scholarship must be used within six years of a student's high school graduation.”

The DESE web site continued, “Beginning with the class of 2016, in order to be eligible for the scholarship, students must:

• score at the Advanced performance level on one of the three high school state assessment tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, or STE (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, or Technology/Engineering); and
• score at the Proficient level or higher on the remaining two high school state assessment tests; and
• have combined scores from the three tests that place them in the top 25 percent of students in the graduating class in their district.”

District School Committee member Mr. Maguire told the students, “You did it, let’s be proud,” commending them for their exemplary hard work and dedication.

In her remarks to the audience, Principal Jill Rossetti said, “The Adams Scholarship makes a college education possible for many students. It can open the door to the next exciting chapter of their lives and help them to become the professionals they always dreamed of being. On behalf of the entire Blue Hills administration, I congratulate these exceptional young men and women and wish them the very best always.” Principal Rossetti also acknowledged the crucial role played in the students’ success by their supportive families and dedicated teachers.

Praising Blue Hills warmly for its tradition of academic excellence and lofty educational standards, Senator Timilty said the occasion was “a celebration of the best of the best.”  He noted that Blue Hills is a school where “academic achievement and students’ success” is a number one priority. In closing, Senator Timilty told the students this: “Believe in yourself and the rest will fall into place.”

The ceremony was organized by the school’s Guidance Department: Lead Guidance Counselor Emily Burns, who was the emcee, assisted by Guidance Counselors Sarah Titus, John-Henry Davis, Laura O’Reilly and secretary Peggy Hall.