PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Five Berkshire students and one from Rowe were among the 40 students in New England and New York State awarded Berkshire Bank scholarships. 

 

The students are: Lillian Rose Boudreau of Adams, Sean O'Dea of Rowe and Vivian Leona Berard, Samantha Depson, Leila Fiana Paredes and Victoria Maria Tynan, all of Pittsfield.

 

Each student will receive $2,500 as NeXt Gen Scholar to support their pursuit of an undergraduate degree from an accredited non-profit college or technical school. Eighty-one Berkshire Bank employees volunteered to help select the winners from over 150 applications.

 

A total of $100,000 in scholarships were awarded for this year. 

 

"We are so pleased to continue offering these scholarships, as we have for the past 14 years, to help make the dream of higher education a reality for students in the communities we serve," said Lori Gazzillo Kiely, director of the bank's foundation. "We feel education is important to economic prosperity, and it should be available and accessible to all. We congratulate our NeXtGen Scholars and look forward to seeing their future accomplishments."

 

NeXt Gen Scholars are expected to embody academic excellence, while also sharing Berkshire Bank's strong dedication to community service and volunteerism. Additional details on the foundation's grant and scholarship programs can be found here.