Eighteen students from Dartmouth are heading into their next chapter with powerful financial backing: the SouthCoast Community Foundation has awarded them scholarships as part of a broader effort to open educational doors across the region. This year's scholarship cycle touched 124 students across the area, directing $900,000 toward their ambitions—a reminder that education remains one of the most direct paths to opportunity.
The SouthCoast Community Foundation's investment reflects a deep commitment to recognizing local talent. Fifteen of the eighteen Dartmouth winners are seniors at Dartmouth High School, students at the threshold of major life transitions. Their peers from neighboring institutions also made the cut: Ruby Rose from Bishop Stang, Madalyn Duarte from Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational High School, and Anyis Mendes from New Bedford High School each earned scholarships that will ease the financial burden of continuing their education.
Among the Dartmouth High School seniors, Alliah Khan and Amanda Logan both won SCCF External Scholarships, demonstrating excellence that caught the attention of the foundation's evaluators. Elena Sobran secured the Ladies' Branch of the New Bedford Port Society Scholarship, while Preston Francisco earned the New Bedford Half Marathon Committee Scholarship. Lilah Brum won the College Club of New Bedford, Inc. Scholarship, and Tristan Almeida received the TJA Fund—Jordan Alves Memorial Scholarship, honoring a name that clearly holds significance in the community. Caleb Chaves and Sophia Rutkowski both won the Olga R. Sylvia, Manuel Sylvia, and Iria R.S. Sylvia Scholarship Fund, evidence of how these named funds continue the legacy of donors committed to student success. Kaiden Oliveira earned the Leo R. and Muriel A. Lanouette Scholarship. And in a particularly notable recognition of LGBTQ inclusion in educational access, Anyis Mendes won the Lipsky-Whittaker LGBTQ Scholarship.
The college-level winners also emerged from the Dartmouth area. Aubrey DeSouza and Makayla DeSouza both secured spots among recipients of the Olga R. Sylvia, Manuel Sylvia, and Iria R.S. Sylvia Scholarship Fund, suggesting strong educational pipelines from local high schools to higher education. Brooke Davis won the Carlin Lynch Scholarship, and Emerson White earned the Ladies' Branch of the New Bedford Port Society Scholarship, showing that support for students continues beyond high school.
These awards matter because they tackle a real barrier to opportunity: cost. For students from working families, scholarships can mean the difference between attending college or vocational training and staying sidelined. The SouthCoast Community Foundation's annual awards program isn't just writing checks—it's stewarding a vision of what's possible when a community invests in its young people. Named funds honoring specific donors or causes keep that investment rooted in values, whether it's advancing LGBTQ inclusion or supporting the children of working families.
What emerges from this year's awards is a picture of a region that takes its responsibility seriously. Eighteen Dartmouth students are walking forward with momentum, and so are 106 others across the broader SouthCoast area. The $900,000 in total awards is money that will ripple through classrooms, workplaces, and communities for years to come.