LYNN — Classical High graduate Alysha Bingham has awarded $500 scholarships to three Lynn high school students through her foundation, which aims to provide financial assistance to graduates and mentor them throughout college.
Bingham has been providing scholarships through the Alysha Hill Bingham Leadership Foundation since 2019, but this year was particularly notable, as it was the first time she decided to award the annual funding to more than one student.
The applicants were “so impressive” that Bingham couldn’t choose just one, she said.
“It honestly wasn’t an easy choice,” she said.
This year’s winners of the Alysha Hill Bingham Leadership Scholarship are Marvelous Akande from English High, who will be attending the University of Massachusetts – Amherst; Brooke Warren from Classical High, who will be attending Emmanuel College; and Haja Kalle, a graduate of KIPP Academy who also plans to attend UMass – Amherst.
In order to be considered for the scholarship, applicants must be accepted into a college, university, or trade school for the fall and must write an essay answering one of two provided questions: describe a time when you’ve demonstrated leadership in and outside of school; or describe a time in your life where you overcame adversity, and how did it help to shape who you are today?
The winners were selected from 10 applications, which were reviewed by a foundation board. Bingham said the students’ essay responses were inspiring and their transcripts demonstrated a dedication to their studies.
Bingham decided to start a scholarship fund because of her own experience as a first-generation college student who had to work and rely on scholarships to pay for her post-secondary education. She also credited mentors she had along the way for pushing her to finish a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in leadership, both of which she obtained from Northeastern University.
The benefits Bingham received from her mentors in college made her want to include a mentorship component in her scholarship program, she said. Each student awarded a scholarship through her foundation has the option to join a mentorship program with Bingham, support she will provide for the entirety of their college education.
As part of that program, Bingham meets with students to plan their short- and long-term goals and then continues to keep in touch with them throughout the school year to make sure they are making progress.
“I think the whole purpose of me starting the foundation is just my experiences,” said Bingham. “I know without scholarships and without mentorships, I wouldn’t be successful and I wouldn’t have even finished (school).”
Bingham also uses her network to connect students with internships, jobs and people working in their field of choice.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Bingham relied on an annual fashion show at the Lynn Museum to help raise funds for her scholarship. She was able to award this year’s scholarships through last year’s show, but had to get creative since the fashion show — scheduled for this past May — was canceled due to the pandemic.
Instead, Bingham is hosting a cornhole tournament fundraiser at the museum on Aug. 14. The event will be in a safe, outdoor environment, which Bingham hopes will make people more comfortable than an indoor show.
It costs $100 for a team to enter the tournament, and there will be food, drinks and music. First-, second- and third-place winners will be awarded a cash prize. The rest of the money raised through the event will go directly toward her scholarship fund, Bingham said.
“The goal of the cornhole fundraiser is to generate enough funds for the 2022 students,” she said. “The scholarship amount depends on how much I fundraise that year, but I know how much college is so I try to give as much as I can.”
Bingham is inviting the public to attend the tournament and encourages them to register online through her website: alyshahillbinghamleadership.com.
