At a ceremony last Tuesday evening at the Boston University Questrom School of Business Auditorium and Atrium four East Boston students were announced as recipients of Boston University Scholarships.
Both Anirichna Sophorlrath and Imalay Checo were the recipients of BU’s Thomas M. Menino Scholar scholarship and Steven Phung and Jeffrey Zhao were the recipients of BU’s Community Service Award.
The four Eastie students were part of the 85 Boston Public Schools graduates who received BU scholarships and were honored at the ceremony last week.
“The scholarship has taken a pressure off of me and my family,” said Eastie BU Thomas M. Menino Scholar scholarship recipient Anirichna Sophorlrath after last week’s ceremony. “Now my family wouldn’t have to stress about making enough money to support me in college. And as for me, I wouldn’t have to worry as much trying to find ways to earn the money for college. So this scholarship releases a lot of pressure.”
The Thomas M. Menino Scholarship is a prestigious four-year, full-tuition scholarship awarded to high school seniors graduating from Boston Public Schools. Menino Scholars recipients will receive four-year, full-tuition scholarships, a commitment from BU totaling more than $6.4 million over the next four years. Students are nominated by their schools for the merit-based award and selected for their ability to face the intellectual challenges at BU and for their potential to contribute to the University community and society.
The BU Community Service Award, of which Eastie’s Steven Phung and Jeffrey Zhao are recipients, was created in 2009 and fully funds financial need without loans for any admitted Boston Public Schools graduate and transfer student. Phung and Zhao will receive a mentor to assist them in a successful transition to BU and to connect them to important campus resources including community service opportunities. This award was a commitment of more than $12.2 million from BU over the next four years.
“I know this generation of students will lead us through this immediate crisis and show us a better way forward to tomorrow,” said Boston Public School Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius at last week’s ceremony at BU. “I’m so proud of all of you and I cannot wait to watch to see what you do to net change, to be good citizens, to know your place in the world and to move us forward as a society. You are the future and our future looks very bright because of you.”