Scholarships delight Marblehead grads

MARBLEHEAD – A long-running scholarship foundation continued in its quest to fund the college dreams of a select group of Marblehead High School graduates Wednesday as the recipients received certificates of their award.The students met with the committee members and trustees of the Oliver P. Killam Jr. Private Foundation in a conference room at the Law Office of Welch and Muzio in Salem for a small reception complete with cookies and lemonade.The foundation is responsible for funding over $1,000,000 in the last four years to Marblehead High School grads who express financial need and merit, provided by Oliver P. Killam, Jr. in his will. Eighty percent of Killam?s $11,000,000 estate went to the scholarship foundation and 20 percent to the upkeep of the children?s room at the Abbot Public Library in Marblehead.?Oliver did not have a college education, but he would have valued it so,” said Mary Macallister, a committee member. “He wanted to give Marblehead High School students something he never had.”According to committee member Earl Weissman, Killam was originally in the business of selling school supplies, but made his millions as an early buyer of Microsoft stock. “He was ahead of his time,” said Weissman. “He was a very smart man.”The committee started meeting in April when the applications were due and met once a week for a few hours until Marblehead High School?s graduation in early June. “We have pored over your applications,” said committee member Cheri Saltzman to the room, adding, “This is a very special group.”Committee member Scott Macallister says the committee considers in-school and out-of-school activities, community service, employment and academic achievement in choosing applicants.?We look at all the aspects, need being the most important,” he said, adding that the committee looks for “the story that the kids tell? that matches their calling.”Applicants were required to submit personal essays, teacher recommendations, transcripts, standardized test scores, and their parents? income tax information along with the application in order to demonstrate both merit and financial need. The recipients say it was all worth it.?Isn?t it the most amazing scholarship ever?” said recipient Olympia Glen-Scola. “I mean – $20,000!”Each recipient receives a different allotted amount over the four years that is sent to the school they are attending. However, as Mary Macallister warned, grades must be sent in an official transcript each year or the check will not be sent. In order to keep the scholarship, students must stay in good academic standing and be enrolled in a full schedule of classes for the semester. Several committee members emphasized the importance of staying in touch so they can hear about the students? experiences and lives at school.?We try to follow their careers,” said Weissman. He added that while most become successful, a “minimal amount” of students have not followed through on the scholarship?s renewable requirements.This year there are nine recipients with a variety of intended majors and school choices – some near, some far.Graduate Jake Corcoran will be attending the University of Northern Colorado for musical theater after being heavily involved in community theater in Marblehead.Corcoran applied to many schools in New York, but opted for the western part of the country because he thought he?d be spending the rest of his life as an actor in the city, but this was his chance to be somewhere with “beautiful” scenery. “Once I flew there, I thought, ?how could I not go here??” he said.Glen-Scola says working at Village Pharmacy in Marblehead throughout high school is what inspired her to become a pharmacist. She is headed for the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston.Recipient Heather McKenney said it was easy to apply for the scholarship because her sister Ariel received the award three years ago. “She helped me make sure I got everything in on time,” she said. McKenney plans to