Boston– WinnCompanies announced that it has awarded $44,000 in scholarships to 45 residents of properties it manages to demonstrate the company’s ongoing support for individuals pursuing their educational goals.
Residents of WinnResidential and WinnResidential Military Housing Services properties in 13 states received awards as part of the WinningEdge Scholarship Program, which provides financial assistance to residents who have earned a high school diploma or GED, and aspire to continue their education at a college, university or professional trade school.
“The WinningEdge scholarship program is an extension of our guiding principle that our residents are the core of our business,” said Gilbert Winn, CEO of WinnCompanies. “Since 2012, we have committed more than $210,000 to residents who are pursuing a better quality of life for themselves and their families. Our 2016 scholarship recipients have demonstrated exceptional academic ability and leadership skills that will serve them well and we’re proud to support them.”
Twenty-four scholars live in communities managed by WinnResidential in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Virginia. The remaining 21 are residents of military communities managed by WinnResidential Military Housing Services, a joint-venture of WinnCompanies and Lend Lease. They hail from Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Each award is sent directly to the recipient’s chosen school to help defray educational costs.
“College tuition is so expensive and this award will help to offset some of the cost burden on my family and me,” said Daryl Cabral, a resident of Auburn Park in Cambridge, MA. “I feel grateful because I put a lot of time and effort into applying for scholarships, so this makes me feel that all of the effort was worth it.” Cabral will enter Brandeis University this fall, where he will pursue a degree in liberal arts.
“I applied for this scholarship knowing that my mom and I could not afford tuition on our own,” said Jake MacMillan, a resident of The Village at Brookline in Brookline, MA. “The scholarship committee saw something in me and their confidence makes me want to do my absolute best to succeed at college next year and prove that they were not wrong to believe in me.” MacMillan plans to major in criminal justice at Bridgewater State University this fall.
A scholarship committee comprised of WinnCompanies’ team members evaluated more than 150 scholarship applications, including transcripts, essays and personal references, and chose recipients based on their academic performance, character, and proficiency in their chosen field of study.
“I would like to give a big thank you to WinnCompanies for selecting me as a recipient for the scholarship, and to my mother for serving 20 strong years defending the United States of America,” said Antonio Bell, a resident of Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes at Fort Drum’s U.S. Army Installation in New York. Brown plans to major in forensic accounting at Hampton University this fall.
“I’ve lived in (U.S. Army) post housing for pretty much my entire life, and it feels great to be recognized by my own community,” said Paige Kaune, a scholarship recipient who also lives at Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes. “I am very proud to be recognized as a ‘Fort Drum kid’ and will carry my community with me to The Ohio State.” Kaune plans to study political science at The Ohio State University this fall.
The WinningEdge Scholarship is one part of the company’s WinnCares program, a national commitment to corporate citizenship that supports an improved quality of life in the communities in which WinnCompanies does business.
