Annual Award Tops $100K.
Read the MGHPCC Press Release
Holyoke, Massachusetts, June 4, 2024 – Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia today announced the winners of college scholarships from the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC). The scholarship recipients are Allison Jourdain and Anais Santiago, who will be attending UMass Amherst, Alivia Kaifer heading to Northeastern University and Alina Fairlie who will be attending Boston University. Now in its 11th year, the MGHPCC’s merit-based scholarship program has awarded more than $100,000 in grants to date, with this year’s winners receiving $4,000 each.
“Our city is stronger due to our community partners and we appreciate MGHPCC and their commitment to Holyoke residents,” said Mayor Joshua A. Garcia. “This scholarship program encourages young people to reach for their dreams as they pursue higher education and expand their futures.”
“Supporting the education of Holyoke’s students is part of our mission, and we were thrilled to see such an impressive set of students this year,” said MGHPCC Executive Director John Goodhue. “Our ongoing partnerships with the mayor, the superintendent, community members and state and federal government aim to enable workforce development and the growth of the city of Holyoke.”
“These are four dedicated students who have worked hard to prepare themselves for college,” said Superintendent Anthony W. Soto. “We proudly congratulate them on their achievements and the inspiration they provide to students in our community. They deserve this recognition, and we wish them all the best.”
The MGHPCC scholarship program is open to any Holyoke Public School student enrolling at one of the five founding members of the MGHPCC: Boston University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, MIT or University of Massachusetts. It is open to students in any major and not limited to students of computer science or other scientific disciplines. Recipients are chosen on the basis of an 800-word essay answering the question, “What do you see as the three biggest challenges currently facing Holyoke, and what would you do to address them?”
In addition to sponsoring the scholarship program, the MGHPCC works with the mayor’s office, Holyoke Public Schools, Holyoke Community College, Springfield Technical Community College and local community service organizations to host internships, robotics competitions, and teacher workshops.
