LYNN — The Rotary Club of Lynn has awarded six scholarships to students who reside within the city on Thursday at the Old Tyme Italian Cuisine.
While there were originally over 90 qualified applicants, the final number was narrowed down to only six. The scholarships are known as the Thomas Maloney and Robert Hastings scholarships, two past Rotarians who provided the initial funding for the scholarships years ago. Each year, additional funds are provided through fundraising.
“Today’s educators must be commended for instilling in these students the importance of achieving a quality education, which puts them near the top of their class,” Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee Ray Bastarache said. “All these students participated in activities beyond their high school requirements, and still maintained very high GPAs.”
The recipients of the 2025 scholarships are: Ivan Enrique Contreras, Lynn Classical; Joshua Doney, St. Mary’s; Cristian Garcia, KIPP Academy; Claudia Lopez Landaverde, Lynn English; Isabella Mejia, Malden Catholic; and Esly Morales de Paz, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute.
Lynn Rotary Club member Bill Reilly talked about the impact the scholarships leave behind on the students who were awarded them.
“All the students had excellent things to say about their experiences in high school and what they plan on doing next,” Reilly said. “One student came from a Central American country, he’s been on his own for several years now… His father was previously deported, and his mother’s deceased, so he managed to come out within the top 20 of his class.”
“Another student has been putting together computers since they were 14,” Reilly said. “To me, that’s pretty amazing — I have a hard time getting my cell phone set up… Another student had glowing things to say about her experience in high school.”
Reilly continued, “These students — they don’t just sit back and go through the motions in high school.”
The students receiving a scholarship, Joshua Doney and Esly Morales de Paz, were not pictured due to prior school commitments.
