Donate to the FOCRLS General Scholarship Fund
Congratulations to our Class of 2023 scholarship awardees! Much thanks to all of our scholarship sponsors and donors! FOCRLS awarded a total of $86,250 on May 18 at the high school’s Scholarship Night ceremony. The deserving, determined recipients include 40 college-bound members of the Class of 2023. Generous contributors made the 48 scholarships possible, with Bristol Myers Squibb being the newest addition to FOCRLS’s roster of sponsors. Awardees were selected for their academic achievements, educational goals, professional aspirations, essays, and financial need. Reviewers also considered awardees’ extracurriculars, employment, internships, personal growth, and perseverance.
See the list of our 2023 scholarship awardees and sponsors>>
Scholarships
Awardees must meet enrollment and financial requirements along with criteria specific to scholarships.
Candidates apply through the CRLS Scholarship Portal. In any case of discrepancy between our website and the Portal, the Portal is correct.
“100 by 100” Cambridge Business Community STEAM Scholarships
Five scholarships @ $2,500 to students each committed to achievement in the one of the STEAM fields:
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics.
Made possible by local business leaders wanting to invest in the future by supporting motivated students who are acquiring the educations they need to make positive differences in the world. For more information about joining the “100 by 100,” please email scholarships@focrls.org.
“Thank you so much to FOCRLS for choosing me to be the recipient of this prestigious award! I would like to thank all the donors and organizers of FOCRLS for this wonderful and amazing opportunity. This scholarship will definitely help alleviate my college financial stress and will provide me with more time to focus on my studies and college life.
In college, I am majoring in mechanical engineering because I love the concept of bringing my ideas into reality to solve real-world problems. After I graduate, I want my job to be something meaningful. There are many problems to be solved in today’s world and I believe that people like me who have the privilege of education have the power to tackle these challenges.”
Ashrafur, CRLS Class of 2021
FOCRLS awardee of the “100 by 100” Cambridge Business Community STEAM Scholarship for Engineering, now enrolled at Northeastern University
Donate to the "100 by 100" Cambridge Business Community STEAM Scholarships
CRLS Core Values Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a commitment to the school’s motto: “Opportunity, Diversity, Respect.” (Four scholarships @ $1,250 presented. Amount increased in 2022.)
Donate to the CRLS Core Values Scholarship
“I plan to continue to study computer science and computer engineering. I want to work while I’m in college so I can learn more and help pay for my education. This scholarship will help me with my financial obstacles and give me more time to focus on my schoolwork. It is important to me because it shows me that there are people in my community who care about me and my goals.”
Nobel, Class of 2021 FOCRLS awardee of a
CRLS Core Values Scholarship,
now enrolled at Bunker Hill Community College
Dr. Christopher Saheed Future Educators Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who plans to pursue a career in education. Named in honor of the at-the-time CRLS Principal (read more) who championed the founding of FOCRLS. (One scholarship @ $1,500 presented. Amount increased in 2021.) Sponsored by the late Dr. Christopher Saheed and his friends, family, and colleagues.
Donate to the Dr. Christopher Saheed Future Educators Scholarship
Elaine Schear “Voice of the First Generation” Creative Writing Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who demonstrates a talent for and an interest in creative writing and who will be a first generation college student. Established in honor of Friends of CRLS’s co-founder and first Executive Director, Elaine Schear, Ed.D. (Two scholarships @ $1,500 presented. Amount increased in 2023!) Sponsored by Elaine Schear, friends & family members of Elaine Schear, and FOCRLS.
Pictured: Elaine Schear (left) with Gassendina (right), CRLS ’19, the first awardee of the Elaine Schear “Voice of the First Generation” Creative Writing Scholarship, now enrolled at UMass Amherst. Gassendina said, “My parents always were my motivators to keep on writing despite the fact that they were not fluent in English,” and she started writing every chance she got, “because there are stories that have never been told, and I want to tell my truth through storytelling. Creative writing helped open my imagination that was locked inside me.”
Donate to the Elaine Schear "Voice of the First Generation" Creative Writing Scholarship
Elizabeth Vernon Scholarship for Volunteerism and Community Service — Awarded to a graduating senior who demonstrates a dedication to volunteer work in the Cambridge community. Established in honor of longtime FOCRLS Executive Committee member and volunteer Elizabeth Vernon. (One scholarship @ $1,000 presented.) Sponsored by FOCRLS.
Donate to the Elizabeth Vernon Scholarship for Volunteerism and Community Service
Friends of CRLS First Scholars Award — Awarded to a graduating senior who will be the first in their family to attend a 4-year college or university. (Three scholarships @ $1,250 presented. Amount increased in 2022.) Sponsored by FOCRLS.
Donate to the Friends of CRLS First Scholars Award
“My plan is to become a preschool teacher. My passion is to inspire, and educating young children is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Through the opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant with group projects and activities, CRLS has prepared me for the workplace and in life. I now know I can be successful no matter what obstacles are in front of me.”
Alyssa, CRLS Class of 2021
FOCRLS awardee of the First Scholars Award,
now enrolled at Franklin Pierce University
Friends of CRLS First Scholars Award Sponsored by Cambridge Trust Company — Awarded to a graduating senior who will be the first in their family to attend a 4-year college or university. (One scholarship @ $1,500 presented. Amount increased in 2023!) Many thanks to Cambridge Trust Company for their ongoing support.
Donate to the Friends of CRLS First Scholars Sponsored by Cambridge Trust Company
“It Takes a Village” Multi-Year Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who plans to attend a Massachusetts public university or community college. (One new awardee selected from each graduating class. Awardee will receive $1,000 each college year, totaling $4,000 for a 4-year degree or $2,000 for a 2-year degree. Amount increased in 2020.) Sponsored by FOCRLS.
Donate to the "It Takes a Village" Multi-Year Scholarship
Rose & Victor Rifkin Family Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who is a first generation student and low income and/or a child of immigrants, pursuing college education as his or her path to attaining the American dream (read more). (One scholarship @ $2,000 presented.) Sponsored by friends, family, and descendants of Rose & Victor Rifkin, grandparents of FOCRLS co-founder Donna Spiegelman and great-grandparents of CRLS alumnae
Nessarose Schear ’10 and Ariela Schear ’14.
Donate to the Rose & Victor Rifkin Family Scholarship
“I have big goals of owning a company that has strong ethical values and impacts my community for generations to come and my first step in making that happen is to attend Boston University and study at the Questrom School of Business. The Rose & Victor Rifkin Family Scholarship and Charlene Holmes Memorial Award are helping me reach that goal next year and I’m so honored and grateful! Thank you!”
Sina, CRLS Class of 2021 FOCRLS Scholarship Awardee
Aurora M. (Ciccariello) Leydon Memorial Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who is a resident of East Cambridge. Established in memory of Aurora M. (Ciccariello) Leydon (read more). (One scholarship @ $1,500 presented. Amount increased in 2021.) Sponsored by the Leydon family.
Donate to the Aurora M. (Ciccariello) Leydon Memorial Scholarship
“To me, education means taking advantage and making use of every single opportunity that comes my way. A college degree will be the next step on my long path to becoming a well-rounded individual while developing a true educational foundation based on the matters of the world that mean the most to me. I am very passionate about environmental issues, and I intend to have a career that affects change on the world based off of these issues. I plan to continue my educational journey beyond a bachelor’s degree and pursue a Ph.D. My experiences at CRLS, particularly my time being a teacher’s assistant for AP Environmental Science, have inspired me to teach in this area of study.“
Aya, CRLS Class of 2021 FOCRLS awardee of the
Aurora M. (Ciccariello) Leydon Memorial Scholarship,
now enrolled at Northeastern University
Bristol Myers Squibb Scholarship for Science — New in 2023! — Awarded to a graduating senior with demonstrated financial need who has excelled in biology, chemistry, physics, or environmental science and will major in science at college. (Awardee will receive $2,500 each college year, totaling $10,000 toward a 4-year degree.) Much appreciation to Bristol Myers Squibb for sponsoring this scholarship.
Donate to the Bristol Myers Squibb Scholarship
Cambridge Day Sue Reinert Scholarship for Journalism — Awarded to a graduating senior who has participated in journalism within the past year. (One scholarship @ $500 presented.) Many thanks to Marc Levy of Cambridge Day for sponsoring this scholarship.
Donate to the Cambridge Day Sue Reinert Scholarship for Journalism
CambridgeSeven STEAM Award — Awarded to a graduating senior who is the first in their family to attend a 4-year college and is committed to excel in one of the STEAM fields: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics. (One scholarship @ $5,000 presented.)
Deep gratitude to CambridgeSeven for their eleven-year commitment as sponsors for this scholarship.
Pictured: CambridgeSeven Principal Patti Intrieri (left) and
Principal/President Gary Johnson (right) presenting the
CambridgeSeven STEAM Award at CRLS’s 2019 Scholarship Night.
2019 Awardee Sagyan (center) is now enrolled at UMass Amherst with a major in computer science: “I want to become a software developer where I can apply my skills to developing solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. I want to be able to create more sustainable solutions to environmental problems through the use of algorithms to track and mitigate ways that we humans are exploiting the Earth.”
Donate to the Cambridge Seven STEAM Award
Cheri Kamen Targoff Memorial Scholarship for the Humanities — New for 2022! — Awarded to a female graduating senior who is interested in studying history, English, or another humanities field at a college level. (One @ $2,000 scholarship presented.) Sponsored by Ramie Targoff & Stephen Greenblatt.
Donate to the Cheri Kamen Memorial Scholarship in the Humanities
Colonel & Mrs. Henry Bayard McCoy Memorial Scholarship — Awarded to a male graduating senior who has excelled in AP or honors U.S. history and demonstrated civic engagement by having volunteered to help others within Cambridge or nationally. (Four @ $2,500 scholarships presented.) Read about Colonel & Mrs. Henry Bayard McCoy here. Sponsored by The New York Community Trust.
Donate to the Colonel and Mrs. Henry Bayard McCoy Memorial Scholarship
Dr. David A. Link Scholarship for the Health Professions — Awarded to a graduating senior committed to social justice in Cambridge and pursuing a career in health care. Named in honor of David A. Link, M.D., former Chief of Pediatrics at The Cambridge Health Alliance (read more) (Two scholarships @ $1,750 presented. Amount increased in 2021 and again in 2022.) Sponsored by family, friends, and colleagues of David A. Link, M.D.
Donate to the Dr. David A. Link Scholarship for the Health Professions
“My goal is to become successful in a career that I enjoy. My long-term goal is to be a nurse who helps younger patients. The heath assistant program at CRLS allowed me to better understand the health field and start the groundwork for my career. I was able to learn how to take care of patients, learn some rules and regulations, and get certifications. I’m passionate about giving back along with helping those in need and I loved my time working with Spaulding Hospital and Sancta Maria Hospital. I want a career where I can be challenged and make a difference in people’s lives.”
Angelie, CRLS Class of 2021 FOCRLS awardee of the
Dr. David A. Link Scholarship for the Health Professions, now enrolled at UMass Boston
Earl M. Gardner Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a dedication to community service. (Two scholarships @ $1,750 presented. Amount increased in 2021 and again in 2022.) Sponsored by the Gardner family.
Donate to the Earl M. Gardner Scholarship
John D. Zagarella, Sr. Memorial Scholarship — Awarded to a hard-working graduating senior who has played youth or high school sports, has overcome challenges, and plans to continue post-high school education by enrolling in college/university or trade school. (Two scholarships @ $500 presented.) Sponsored by Zagarella family members, friends, and colleagues. (read more)
Donate to the John D. Zagarella, Sr. Memorial Scholarship
Juliette Kayyem & David Barron Scholarship for Children of First Responders — Awarded to a graduating senior who is the child of a first responder (member or veteran of the U.S. armed forces, Coast Guard, National Guard, law enforcement, firefighter, emergency medical technician, emergency room nurse or doctor, or public health official). (One scholarship @ $1,500 presented.) Sponsored by Juliette Kayyem & David Barron.
Donate to the Juliette Kayyem & David Barron Scholarship for Children of First Responders
Maria J. Tavares Memorial Scholarship — Awarded to a first-generation college-bound graduating senior with immigrant parents. (One scholarship @ $1,000 presented.) Sponsored by Mary Tavares Sutula and the Sutula family.
Donate to the Maria J. Tavares Memorial Scholarship
Mary Frances Monti Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated both academic and personal growth during their high school career. (One scholarship @ $1,250 presented. Amount increased in 2021.) Sponsored by Neil B. Rosenburg, CHLS ’76, FOCRLS Treasurer and Scholarship Chair.
Donate to the Mary Frances Monti Scholarship
N Rahman Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who descends from South Asia (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nepal) with a special preference given to students of Bangladeshi origin. (One scholarship @ $2,000 presented.)
Sponsored by Naveed Rahman & Caroline Butler-Rahman.
Donate to the N Rahman Scholarship
Patrick Ewing Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who is an African American of West Indian descent. (One scholarship @ $2,000 presented. Amount increased in 2021.) Sponsored by Patrick Ewing, CRLS Class of ’81 (see more).
Donate to the Patrick Ewing Scholarship
“My goal is to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. I really want to help children, especially black children, and their mothers. There are many disparities in the healthcare field for black women. It’s a basic human right for everyone to get the health care treatment they need, and I want to be there to enact it. I want to help people in vulnerable situations and give them hope and help them have strong and healthy futures. I want to leave a legacy of black excellence in the healthcare field.”
Schama, CRLS Class of 2021 FOCRLS awardee of the
Patrick Ewing Scholarship,
now enrolled at UMass Boston
“Thank you very much for selecting me for the Rose & Victor Rifkin Family Scholarship. Being a first generation immigrant and the first one in my family to go to college, this scholarship means a lot to me. It helped me feel more prepared and excited for college. My intended major is biology; I’m especially interested in becoming a physician and helping people in need.”
Anindita, CRLS Class of 2020,
now enrolled at UMass Boston
Scholarships for Equity and Social Justice — Awarded to a graduating senior who demonstrates dedication, commitment, and activism towards equity and social justice at CRLS and/or in the greater Cambridge community. (Two scholarships @ $2,500 presented, one to a female student and one to a male student.) Sponsored by Eileen Taxe Levine and Irving Lee Levine.
Donate to the Scholarships for Equity and Social Justice
Tutoring Plus Scholarship — Awarded to a graduating senior who has participated in Tutoring Plus and who intends to enroll in any type of higher education program in the summer or fall. (One scholarship @ $1,000 presented.) Many thanks to Tutoring Plus for sponsoring this scholarship.
Donate to the Tutoring Plus Scholarship
Awards
Charlene Holmes Memorial Award — Awarded to a graduating senior who best exemplifies Charlene’s generosity, caring, and professional aspirations. Charlene was a CRLS student, church member, and volunteer at the Salvation Army who would have graduated in 2014 had she not been tragically taken from us. Charlene will forever be part of the spirit of CRLS. There is no application for this award; teachers and staff members nominate students with letters of recommendation at the start of the spring semester. (Four awards @ $500 presented, with one recipient from each Learning Community.)
Sponsored by Friends of CRLS.
Donate to the Charlene Holmes Memorial Award
Calvin Hicks Memorial Award for the Study of Music — CRLS students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 are eligible! — Awarded to a student who demonstrates a love for and commitment to music. The student may study any instrument, voice, or musical theory, and may be at any stage of their musical development, whether a budding musician with no prior musical training or an accomplished artist. INFORMATION AND APPLICATION>> (One of $500 presented.) Sponsored by family, friends, and students of Calvin Hicks. Read more about Calvin Hicks.>>
Donate to the Calvin Hicks Memorial Award for the Study of Music
Fresh Start Contracting Corporation Award for Carpentry — Awarded to a graduating senior who has excelled in the Rindge School of Technical Arts carpentry program for two years. (One award @ $500 presented.) The awardee can use the funds for college tuition or to help defray the costs associated with pursuing a career in the trades. Many thanks to Ben O’Sullivan-Pierce, CRLS ‘04, and Nick Stamos, CRLS ‘02, co-founders of Fresh Start Contracting Corporation for their continued sponsorship.
Donate to the Fresh Start Contracting Corporation Award for Carpentry
Additional Awards for which FOCRLS is a Fiscal Partner
Ginny Berkowitz Award for Media Arts & Social Justice — New for 2022! — An award from the Ginny Berkowitz Fund for CRLS’s Media Arts & Social Justice, named for the founding Program Manager of the Media Arts Studio (MAS), will be given annually to a participant in MAS programs who is a rising 11th or 12th grader. The award will be used to defray the cost of producing a piece of media, an event, or a campaign that promotes social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Application forms will be available beginning March 1 of each year and will be due April 1. (One award, amount TBA, presented.) Sponsored by family, friends, and colleagues of Ginny Berkowitz.
Donate to the Ginny Berkowitz Fund for Media Arts & Social Justice
John & Ellen Moot Community Service Award — Awarded to CRLS juniors or seniors who have dedicated themselves to community service and who represent the ideals of community activism and service to the city of Cambridge. (One or more awards up to $5,000 each presented annually.) Sponsored and presented by The Cambridge Club.
Donate to the John & Ellen Moot Community Service Award
Would you like to explore the idea of establishing and sponsoring a Scholarship or Award for CRLS students?
- Individuals, families, or groups can convey an honor upon a special person by creating a scholarship or award in that person’s name.
- Alumni of CRLS or its predecessors, Cambridge High & Latin School and Rindge Technical School, can create a legacy for their graduating class or honor a beloved teacher.
- Businesses or corporations can establish named scholarships to demonstrate their support for CRLS or reward their high school interns.
- Sponsors can tailor scholarship criteria such as financial need, area of educational interest, career goal, academic merit, involvement in extracurricular activities, commitment to a social cause, personal/family background, etc.
- Sponsors can participate in CRLS’s Scholarship Night and receive recognition in FOCRLS’s media.
- Sponsorships and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Contact FOCRLS to Learn More About Establishing a Named Scholarship or Award for CRLS Students