By Wendy Lyons

The AAUW Scholarship Committee—Jan Day, Norma McShane, and Committee Chair, Wendy Lyons—awarded scholarships to four women at CCV. One scholarship is for Fall 2023 and three are for Spring 2024. All scholarship awardees are first-time recipients of scholarships from the Bennington Branch of AAUW.

Fall Semester

Melanie Lopez was granted $950.00.  A self-employed bookkeeper, Melanie plans to graduate in the fall of 2025.

Spring Semester

London Green was awarded $700.00, which includes funding for textbooks. A new LPN, London is the mother of two and is pursuing an RN degree. She anticipates the summer of 2024 being her last semester at CCV.

Lucinda Weed was awarded $200.00 for textbooks. She is going to school to become a recovery coach and anticipates the spring of 2025 being her last semester with CCV.

Alexis A. Chaplin was awarded $200.00 for textbooks. The first time she tried to go to college, she had five children at home and was working full-time at a restaurant. Alexis recently decided to go back to college at CCV to get her associates in Behavioral Science. She plans to go to another Vermont State College to complete her degree.

Total Scholarships Awarded 

The scholarships for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 of $2050.00 brings our total amount awarded since 2007 to $63,385.

The Scholarship Funds are raised by Silent Angels (anonymous branch members who have pledged to donate $100 each year), sale of books by the Scribble Sisters, theater fundraisers, donations given in memory or in celebration of various friends of AAUW, and passing the hat at public meetings of the organization. We had eight applicants this year, more than ever before, and had to divide our available funds into eight awards that were smaller than typical awards in previous years. (If you are interested in becoming a Silent Angel, send an email to Mary Feidner, mfeidner@comcast.net.