Five members of the Class of 2020 have been awarded scholarships by the Martin Luther King Scholarship Trust Fund. Members of the Board of Trustees, including James E. Mitchell, Ph.D., President of the Scholarship Trust Fund, were on campus to surprise each of the award winners.

 

Students apply in the 11th-grade and are selected via a process to measure dedication to learning, understanding of Dr. King’s mission, demonstration of character, and financial need.  Candidates submit an essay and the scholarship committee interviews all candidates.

 

This year's recipients are: (front L-R) Allen Dufort, Alex Dufort, (back L-R) Errien Williams, Laika Bertrand, and Krishna Patel.

 

This is the first time 5 recipients in New London County have been selected from Norwich Free Academy.  Each receives a twenty-thousand dollar award, distributed in five-thousand-dollar installments over four years.

 

Recipients will be honored, Oct. 17, at the 38th Annual Scholarship Dinner at the Mystic Marriott, Groton.  The philanthropy of Individuals and organizations throughout southeastern Connecticut supports the scholarship fund which operates with virtually no overhead, ensuring that contributions directly support recipients.  The major fundraising initiative is the annual dinner which gathers more than 600 citizens from all segments of the community to celebrate the accomplishments of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. scholars.