Each year the Trust presents college scholarships to Westford seniors going to college with an interest in environmental science or related field, demonstrated by coursework and volunteer/community service.
Education and conservation are foremost in the minds of the Trust directors and we hope to encourage the youth of Westford to follow this same passion.
We are honored to announce the 2022 Scholarship Awards to the following Westford seniors. The Trust wishes all recipients great success in their future endeavors. Congratulations to all recipients!
The Committee awarded two $1500 scholarships to outstanding graduating WA seniors who met our scholarship guidelines.
- Stephanie Xu – Stephanie has loved nature and the environment for as long as she can remember. In high school, she began to be involved more seriously in environmental issues, volunteering, educating, and promoting awareness, taking steps to realize her goal of helping nature around her. In freshman year and sophomore year, she volunteered for the New England Aquarium’s liveBlue program, removing invasive species from local conservation areas. The experience of working with fellow volunteers and talking to the program advisors inspired her to make tangible change in her own community, and how important a team effort is to creating sustainable improvements. Stephanie has been a member of WA’s Environmental Club and Science Team since sophomore year; as part of Science Team, studying ornithology and environmental chemistry, learning about the various crises facing birds in North America, reading about EPA policy and management of US water sources, and using chemistry to determine water pollutant concentrations. Her efforts won a 7th place in Ornithology at the 2020 Harvard Science Olympiad, 3rd in ornithology at the 2021 MA state olympiad, and 5th in Environmental Chemistry at the Brown Olympiad this year. As a member of Environmental Club and this year’s president, she helped build an eco-footprint lesson plan to teach at Westford’s elementary schools, educating our younger peers about the importance of environmental awareness and introducing them to the concept of energy conservation. She will continue to pursue environmental science in college, gaining a deeper understanding about the pressing environmental issues facing society and using her knowledge to protect the environment and improve our relationship with the natural world.
Stephanie intends to pursue a major in environmental science and biology.
- Alexander Joos – As a Boy Scout in Troop 195 Alex was exposed to several community service opportunities such as Veteran Leaf Raking, Building a Bridge for a WahTutCah Scout Camp, Noah Bernstein’s Eagle Scout Project, Nick Anderson’s Eagle Scout Project, Gautham Anoop’s Eagle Scout Project, Conservation Work at Minuteman National Park clearing invasive species, and his own Westford Historical Committee Eagle Scout Project. He also likes to volunteer at local organizations including Nashoba Youth Hockey Learn to Skate, the Westford Library Book Sale, Cradles to Crayons, and BeLikeBrit. Both through conservation community service and working as a landscaping duo over the summer, he developed a passion for environmental science, learned about and experienced Westford’s ecology, and hopes to further this exploration in college”.
Alexander intends to pursue a major in Environment and Sustainability at Cornell University.