Baystate Wing Hospital Auxiliary Awards $6,000 in Scholarships

PALMER — Six area students have received an increase in their college fund, courtesy of the Baystate Wing Hospital Auxiliary. The hospital’s volunteer group recently presented $6,000 in scholarships to area high-school students pursuing careers in healthcare. 

Each year the scholarships are financed by the fundraising efforts of the hospital’s auxiliary members. These activities include vendor fairs, lotto calendar sales, and gift-shop proceeds. The auxiliary provides scholarships each year to graduating high-school seniors in Belchertown, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Ware, and Wilbraham who are pursuing higher education in a healthcare field. A committee reviews the applications of area students in April of each year to select the students, who this year will each receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The 2019 scholarship award recipients include Alex Szarloiski from Belchertown High School, who will be pursuing a degree in nursing; Ethan Provost from Ludlow High School, who will be pursuing a degree in anesthesiology; Jessica Smith from Minnechaug High School, who will be pursuing a degree in nursing; Kaitlyn Santos from Monson High School, who will be pursuing a degree in pediatrics; Joseph Lombardi from Palmer High School, who will be pursuing a degree in nursing; and Shelby Tweedie from Ware High School, who will be pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering. The students were chosen based on their academic excellence, volunteer efforts, and related community service, work experience, and dedication to their goals.

“We are extremely proud of these students and grateful to the Baystate Wing Hospital Auxiliary members for their continued dedication to our hospital and our communities,” said Ursula St. Amand, chairman of the scholarship committee. “These scholarships are an investment in our area youth and will help to build a healthcare workforce for the future.”