By Christine M. Quirk — Christine@theconcordbridge.org
Five recent Concord-Carlisle High School graduates are the inaugural recipients of the first Ellen Garrison Scholarship.
The 2024 award winners are Shahana Ahmed, Mya Bentick, Makiah Francois, Toryn Jackson, and Ryann Scott.
The scholarship honors the legacy of Ellen Garrison, the Civil War-era activist and educator. The recipients were announced at a July 4 Frederick Douglass event at The Robbins House.
This new annual scholarship grants monetary awards — this year, totaling $3,500 — to female METCO students who recently graduated from CCHS and plan to attend college in the fall. Applicants completed a comprehensive application, which included a 500-word essay and a two-minute video describing how Garrison or another advocate for education and civil rights inspired them.
Concordian Leanne Bateman launched and funded the scholarship and served as the administrator with the help of a selection committee that included representation from CCHS METCO, The Robbins House, and the DEI Commission of Concord.
Going forward, The Robbins House will manage the scholarship and will accept contributions toward future awards. The goal is to grow the Ellen Garrison Scholarship program to offer larger awards next year, potentially to more students.
More information about the scholarship program may be found at ellengarrison.org. Gifts to the fund may be made via robbinshouse.org.
