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Maida Townsend Scholarships

Scholarships available to the children of Vermont-NEA members

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2025 - Completed applications must be received by Vermont-NEA by 11:59 p.m. on February 1, 2025. Details regarding application submission can be found on the application. Please follow all guidelines carefully. Click here for application. (Link disabled, 2025 application will be available in December.)

The children of Vermont-NEA members -- students in their last year of high school, undergraduates, and graduate students -- are eligible to apply for Vermont-NEA/Maida F. Townsend scholarships. The $1000 scholarships, established in 1991, are awarded annually at the Vermont-NEA Representative Assembly. 

The scholarship awards are based on merit, not financial need. Students majoring in any discipline are eligible to apply, but preference may be given to those majoring in education or having that intention. Awards are made directly to the students. Students may reapply for the award but may receive an award only once.

How to Apply 

Click here for the application. (Link disabled, 2025 application will be available in December.)

The scholarship application cover letter should include answers to these questions:

  • What makes you unique?
  • What are your educational goals?
  • What are your plans for continuing education? 

The scholarship application requires the submission of transcripts and two letters of recommendation. Current high school students must have one recommendation from a guidance counselor or administrator, and one from a teacher. College students must have one recommendation from a professor in his/her field of concentration and one from another professor. 

Applicants also must submit a list of co-curricular and community activities and a transcript from the institution the applicant is currently attending. For students attending schools with unusual grading practices, an explanation of the grading system should accompany the transcript.

Each applicant must submit an essay under 400 words. Applications with essays that exceed the 400 word limit will be disqualified. The theme is decided by the scholarship committee on an annual basis and announced in the fall. this year’s essay question is: “Describe a personal accomplishment and the strengths and skills you used to achieve it.” What or who inspired you? Were there obstacles you encountered? If yes, what were they, and how did you deal with them?

For more information, contact Kristie Ferguson at [email protected].

The Judges 

The scholarship fund is governed by a board of trustees, which is the same as the entire Vermont-NEA Board of Directors. The Vermont-NEA president appoints two board members and an at-large-member to the committee annually. 

Deadline 

Applications must be received by Vermont-NEA no later than 11:59 p.m. on February 1, 2025.

Click here for the application. (Link disabled, 2025 application will be available in December.)

Past Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to these fine students who have been winners of Vermont-NEA / Maida F. Townsend Scholarship Awards:

2023

Sydney Adreon, Rice Memorial School

Kelsey Altemose, Middlebury High School

April Ambrose, Saint Michael's College

Jacob Antonovich, Bellow's Free Academy - Fairfax

John Cassell, Hartford High School

Annabelle Coburn, Lake Region High School

Kimberly Cummings, Worchester Polytechnic Institute

Gabriela Jensen, Essex High School

Katie Kelley, Lake Region High School

Declan McCullough, Woodstock High School

Alexis Patterson, University of Vermont

Ella Pecor, Colchester High School

Emily Peduto, Otter Valley High School

Evan Pidgeon, South Bulington High School

2022

Addison Baranyay, Champlain Valley Union High School

Elena Blackburn, Montpelier High School

Jackson Heller, Brattelboro Union High School

Wally Hunt, St. Johnsbury Academy

Carlota Jensen, Essex High School

Riley Maher, University of Vermont

Macey Smith, Thetford Academy

Ava Thurston, Harwood Union High School

Finn Verdonk, Vermont Commons School

Matthew Vigneau, South Burlington High School

2021

Jacob Bean, Franklin Pierce University

Ella Bohmann, Champlain Valley Union High School

Caroline Cassell, Bates College

Grace Coolidge, Otter Valley Union High School

Noah Diedrich, Arlington Memorial High School

Owen Kupferer, Essex High School

Tony White, Peoples Academy

Lily Wolf, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Grace Woodruff, Wellesley College

Julianne Young, Rochester Institute of Technology

2020

Daniel Bishop, Texas A&M University

William Coburn, Lake Region Union HS

Audrey Eggum-Wright, Woodstock Union HS

Amelia Glickman, Brattleboro Union HS

Lauren Houchens, South Burlington HS

Olivia Howe, Brown University

Lily Mitchell, Burlington HS 

Rachel O'Hearn, Rivendell Academy 

Quinn Pidgeon, South Burlington HS

Lyssa Tan, South Burlington HS

2019

Tyler Allembert, Brattleboro UHS

Hannah Bohmann, Champlain Valley UHS

Logan Chaput, School of Music at Ithaca

Isaac Emery, Woodstock UHS

Alyssa Harrington, Arlington Memorial HS

Liam Kennedy, Brattleboro UHS

Avery Kupferer, Essex High School

Josephine Sinopoli, Keene State College

Timothy Yandow, Essex High School

Barbara Kate MacMaster, Woodstock UHS

2018

Lucia Ellerson, Hartford HS

Molly Fuller, Colchester HS

Stella Gardner, U-32 HS

Emma Husk, Vergennes Union HS

Ella MacMaster, Woodstock Union HS

Robert Maher, BFA St. Albans

Julia Ormerod, BFA Fairfax

Eliza Rounds, Green Mountain Union HS

Rachael Zmich, People’s Academy

Brennen Zolnoski, Brattleboro Union HS

2017

Alexander Bickart, Peoples Academy

Avery Ellis, North Country Union HS

Lucia Gagliardone, Bowdoin College

Brady Illingworth, Bellows Falls Union HS

Connor Joyce, Hartford HS

Eva Kamman, Vergennes Union HS

Dana Marsh, North Country Union HS

Eleanor Martin, Vergennes Union HS

Quinn Trybus, Burlington HS

Grace Willean, Lamoille Union HS

2016

Hannah Funk, Mount Abraham Union High School

Jared Lehouillier, Lake Region Union High School

Gordon MacMaster, Woodstock Union High School

Erin O' Farrell, Lyndon Institute

Heather Robinson, Castleton University

Elizabeth Skerrett, Bellows Free Academy - Fairfax

Abigail Snow, Milton High School

Zachary Trepanier, West Rutland High School

Haley Usilton, Woodstock Union High School

Laura Valastro, South Burlington High School

2015

Kathleen Ambrose, Vergennes UHS             

Jordan Godfrey, Rutland High School         

Ethan Illingworth, Bellows Falls UHS           

Nina Lam, Mount Mansfield UHS    

Phoebe Martell-Crawford, Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans              

Katharine Mayo, Twinfield UHS    

John O’Sullivan-Griffith, Burlington High School   

Madison Wood, St. Johnsbury Academy     

Merrill Woodruff, Harwood UHS

Brendan Wright, Rutland High School         

2014

Katherine Fish, People's Academy

Bradley Myers, Mt. Anthony UHS

Annie Nelson, Windsor HS

Moira Taylor, Essex HS

Molly Zmich, People's Academy

2011

Matthew Dobart  Proctor Jr/Sr High School

Allison Gillette  Emerson College

Joanna Kamhi  Essex HS

Katie McCormack  Rutland HS

Margaret Musty  Blue Mountain UHS

2010

Jeremy Belknap  Oxbow HS

Hannah Cerasoli  Hartford HS

Elizabeth Flory  Hanover HS

Kyle Weinreich  Twinfield UHS

Alexandra Zakrzewski  Arlington Memorial HS

2009

Hillary Estes  Mt. Anthony Union HS

Julia Gulka  Cabot HS

Emily Kimler  Global College of Long Island University

Margaret Sweeney  Brattleboro Union HS

Shannon Ward  Brattelboro Union HS

2008

Erin Conway of Vergennes UHS

Kyle Marlow of BFA St. Albans

Megan Reymore of Randolph UHS

Joseph Rodolfy of Rutland HS

Katie Stickney of Fair Haven UHS

2007

Ailis Cournane of Concordia University, Montreal

Shaun Farrell of North Country UHS

Katrina Hardt of Sterling College

Evan Masseau of Champlain Valley UHS

Kylie McLane of South Burlington HS

2006

Jennifer Goyne of Richford High School

Leah Nero of Brattleboro and Yale

Benjamin Rome of Essex High School

Janet Soltau of South Burlington High School

Genevieve St.Hilaire of Bellows Free Academy-Fairfax

2005

Alyssa Bennett of Skidmore College

Emily Chamberlain of Otter Valley Uhion High School

Elsa Sargent of Dartmouth College

Rebecca VanHorn of Proctor High School

Clement Wright of Burr and Burton Academy

2004

Michael Harger of Proctor Jr./Sr. High School

Charlotte Hirschberger of Otter Valley Union High School

Aaron Lackowski of Mt. Mansfield Union High School

Caitlyn Long of Middlebury College

Schuyler Sturm of Lyndon Institute

2003

Kelsey Ballard of Woodstock Union High School

Maria Benoit of Vergennes Union High School

Carlin Hebert of Mt. Anthony Union High School

Andrea Jette of Missisquoi Valley Union High School

Kristin Weibust of Skidmore College

2002

Kit Basom of Lake Region Union High School

Abby M. Gelinas of Winooski High School

Daniel Kahn of Union-32 Junior/Senior High School

Heather Martel of Richford Junior/Senior High School

Kaitlyn O'Donnell of Randolph Union High School

Richard Waite of Hamilton College

2001

Taryn McLaughlin of Rutland High School

Nicholas Miller of South Burlington High School

Eben Sargent of North Country Union High School

Samantha Treu of Green Mountain Union High School

2000

Reeve Basom of Lake Region Union High School

Amy Cluff of Middlebury College

Marian Miller of Hamilton College

Katherine M. Symancyk of Hartford High School

Nicholas Weiss of Union-32 Jr-Sr High School

1999

Katie Burnell of the College of St. Joseph

Heather Hawkes of Woodstock Union High School

Andrew Kish of the University of Pennsylvania

Michael Stahler of Lyndon Institute

1998

Sarah Bennett of Boston University

Abigail Chaloux of Mt. Anthony Union High School

Michael Logan Florucci of Vergennes Union High School

Jesse Kimler of Middlebury Union High School

Thomas Collier Smith of Rutland High School

Courtney Ann Stewart of Randolph Union High School

1997

Cara Thomson Costello of Rutland High School

Jackson T. Evans of Northfield High School

Kristine Joppe-Mercure of South Burlington High School

Tedin Nelida Lange of Hanover High School

Emily Eileen Shanks of Williams College.

1996

Jill Allen of Essex Junction High School

Jessica Cook of Randolph Union High School

Celina Croteau of Lyndon Institute

James B. Pfadenhauer of Bellows Falls Union High School

Jodie Rudisill of College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina

Rebecca S. Walton of South Burlington High School

1995

Molly Kate Baum of Twinfield Union School

Alison Rebecca Florucci of Vergennes Union High School

Jenny V. Olson of Bryn Mawr College

Dara Wax of Wilmington Middle-High School

Lynnette Whitney of Montpelier High School

1994

Seth Armitage of North Country Union High School

Meg Jennette of Bellows Free Academy-St. Albans

Jessica Jette of Missisquoi Valley Union Hgh School

Peter Tessier of Lyndon Institute

Zachary Rowles of Bates College

Jennifer Ward of Greenwich Central School, Greenwich, New York

Heather Woodfield of Tisch School of the Arts, New York University

1993

Sara Buchdahl

Carmelle Cote

Justin Courcelle

Julia Anne Ely

Robert Plunkett of Mount Anthony Union High School

Robert Rhoad

Jessica Walton

1992

Amy Lynn Dorta of Mt. Mansfield Union High School

Greg Crowther of Williams College

Wendy Brewster of Castleton State College

Erik Fitzpatrick of Vermont Law School

Christopher Roy of the University of Vermont

Sam Hooker

Becky Irwin

1991

Christine Maloney

Caryn Voland

Chrisa Greaney

Tina Edson

Wendy Giguere of Montpelier High School

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The Vermont-National Education Association is the union of Vermont educators, 13,000 professionals who teach the state's children every day. As the state's largest union, Vermont-NEA is proud to represent the people who make a difference in the lives of students in classrooms across Vermont.