The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) yesterday announced the recipient of the annual scholarship honoring the memory of longtime employee Deborah Hadden Gray. The 2022 Deborah Hadden Gray Memorial Scholarship was awarded to East Boston resident Genesis Funes.
“We are proud to name Genesis as this year’s Deborah Hadden Gray Memorial Scholarship recipient,” said Massport CEO Lisa Wieland. “Her academic achievement, glowing recommendations and work experience made Genesis the standout applicant this year.”
The Deborah Hadden Gray Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a high school student who is a resident of the City of Boston, Chelsea, Revere or Winthrop. Hadden Gray worked for Massport for 20 years and served as Port Director from 2012-2015. She had a tremendous impact on Massport’s Maritime mission and was a strong advocate for the working port, and the jobs and businesses it supported, while carefully balancing the priorities of the South Boston community.
Funes graduated from Dana Hall School and will soon attend Assumption University. She has worked at Boston Medical Center as a hematology/oncology intern, served as a seasonal guest advocate at Target, and she has volunteered her time at Neighbors United for a Better East Boston (NUBE).
To be considered for the Deborah Hadden Gray Memorial Scholarship, students are required to have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and must submit an essay of 1,000 words describing their career interests or how their community service has affected their outlook on life. In her essay, Genesis wrote, “This year, after teaching an eighth-grade class a health and wellness curriculum, I was chosen to be Head of the Peer Education Program. In this position, I work to translate, this time not from Spanish to English, but from hopes and desires to reality.”
Applications are judged by a committee made up of Massport employees and a representative of the Gray family. Students interested in applying for the 2023 scholarship should visit www.massport.com/scholarships for eligibility requirements.
The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) owns and operates Boston Logan International Airport, public terminals in the Port of Boston, Hanscom Field, and Worcester Regional Airport. For more information, please visit Massport.com.