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U.S. Rep. Richard Neal will be the Keynote speaker at The Horace Smith Fund 125th Anniversary Celebration and Scholarship Awards Ceremony. The event will take place on Thursday, June 19th, at 6:00 PM, at the Carriage House of Storrowton Tavern for recipients, their parents, school counselors, and Corporators. Scholarships and Fellowships totaling $309,000 will be awarded to residents of Hampden County. Walter S. Barr Scholarships of $12,000 will be given to 18 graduating high school seniors and two students currently attending college. A Sidney S. Letter Scholarship, named after a recent benefactor, will be awarded to a college student of significant merit. The William R. Rooney Award will be granted to a high school senior who has received special education services. Three Walter S. Barr Fellowships of $15,000 will be given to students pursuing full-time graduate studies. The Horace Smith Fund was established in 1899 by the successful and generous philanthropist named Horace Smith. He and Daniel Wesson were the founders of Smith & Wesson, located in Springfield. Mr. Smith’s will provided that the residual of his estate, after several bequests to relatives and institutions, was to be used for public purposes at the discretion of his executors. They decided that it should be used to help deserving students finance their education. The Walter S. Barr Scholarships and Fellowships are named for a West Springfield businessman, whose widow left the bulk of the family estate to The Horace Smith Fund in 1950. The William R. Rooney Award is named for a past Executive Director with a desire to assist special needs students. All recipients must be residents of Hampden County. This year’s scholarship recipients who are graduating seniors are from the following high schools: Agawam High School: Isabella M. Oliveira, Hannah M. Parker Chicopee Comprehensive High School: Carter R. Janik Chicopee High School: Jenna P. Madru East Longmeadow High School: Oluwafunmilayo Y. Coates Longmeadow High School: Rachel Kim, Kabeer Razzaq Ludlow High School: Jack E. Favata, Calleigh J. Foley, Caitlyn R. Day Minnechaug Regional High School: Bryan A. Beckel, Victoria E. Gonzalez, Pope Francis Preparatory High School: Elizabeth Z. Hanechak Putnam Vocational Technical High School: Andy Li Springfield Central High School: Charlotte Kocsmiersky West Springfield High School: Lindsey R. Bergeron, Ainsley E. Kearney, Mary C. Desrosiers, Eibhlinn R. White This year’s scholarship recipients who are currently in college are: Emerson College: Patrick A. Cowles (Minnechaug Regional High School) UMass Amherst: Faraz Kabir (Longmeadow High School) WNEU: Madeline G. Jarvinen (Longmeadow High School) The three fellowship recipients are graduates from the following colleges and high schools: Boston College School of Law: Devin Sheehan (Southwick-Tolland Regional High School) Fordham University School of Law: Leighlani Sanchez (Northfield Mt. Herman School) Yale University School of Nursing: Anna Gorfinkel (Minnechaug Regional High School) Students were selected on both merit and financial need. Applications for next year’s awards will be available October 1st on-line at www.HoraceSmithFund.org or by calling (413) 739-4222.