Berkshire BPW Names Scholarship Recipients

Berkshire Business & Professional Women (BBPW), announced in a press release the recipients of its 2020 scholarships at its October meeting. Because of local sponsors and donors, twenty-two local women are receiving a total of $21,000 to help them attain their higher education goals.

“I never, ever thought I could go back to school, as a single mom with three kids," said Billie Jo George, an oncology nurse at Berkshire Medical Center and one of this year’s recipients.

The women hail from seven different communities, including Adams, Dalton, Great Barrington and Pittsfield. Some are going to college for the first time, others are returning after time off, while still others are furthering their careers by adding a Master’s degree to their credentials. Many are combining jobs and parenting with college, including a number of single mothers.

“We are thrilled to be supporting so many impressive local women as they pursue their college dreams,” said Kalee Carmel, who takes over as BBPW President this month from Celia Clancy.

BBPW Scholarship Committee Chair June Roy-Martin noted that both the number of recipients and the total amount awarded this year have increased substantially over last year, despite the pandemic. This year, awardees also included recipients who were unemployed due to COVID-19.

Scholarships are funded primarily through the annual gala that celebrates the BBPW’s Woman of Achievement Award. This year’s Woman of Achievement is Andrea Harrington, the county’s first woman District Attorney, but the pandemic forced the postponement of the gala in May, casting uncertainty over the scholarship program. Instead, Harrington’s achievement was feted with a hybrid event in September that achieved its $28,000 fundraising goal. You can learn more about the scholarship program by going here:

Following are this year’s scholarship awardees, along with their college and course of study:

Stella Asamoah, Berkshire Community
College, Pre-Nursing

Cassandra Bercier, Maria College
of Albany, Nursing

Monica Bliss, Berkshire Community
College, Theater/Music

Emily Boino, Berkshire Community
College, Nursing

Brooke Bridges, UMass Amherst, Developmental
Psychology/Behavioral Neuroscience

Toni Buckley, Technical University
of Kaiserslautern, Germany, Management of Nonprofits and Cultural Organizations

Billie Jo George, Elms College, Bachelor’s
Degree in Nursing

Holly Hunter, Elms College, Early
Childhood Education

Viviane Komenda-Scherer, Berkshire
Community College, Associate’s Degree in Nursing

Michelle Levesque, Berkshire Community
College, Health Care Management

Rhodalyn MacQuaye, BayPath University,
Nursing