WHS class of 2020 This spring, the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation (WSF) proudly awarded 24 college scholarships to members of the Wellesley High School graduating class of 2020 who joyfully received their high school diplomas in their festively decorated cars on the morning of June 6.

Overall, WSF awarded $316,000 in need-based college scholarships to a total of 86 rising and currently-enrolled college students. The scholarships range in value from $1000-$15,000, with a median value of $3,500. Prior to this year, only Wellesley residents had been eligible for these scholarships. In 2019, the Foundation changed its charter to make scholarship eligibility possible for all graduates of Wellesley High School, and this year, for the first time, a significant number of WHS graduates who would not have been able to apply for WSF college scholarships in previous years received them.

These newest WHS graduates who are recipients of WSF scholarships have been active participants in the life of the town. They have been helping to coach youth sports, working on political campaigns, competing on athletic, robotics and dance teams, playing music, and acting on stage. They’ve interned in research laboratories, worked in retail, and fought for social justice. Once the pandemic allows them to enter school, this year’s newest WSF scholarship recipients will be attending colleges and technical institutes everywhere from Massachusetts to Minnesota, even as far away as Canada. They have plans to major in everything from business to education to acting to STEM disciplines.

The Wellesley Scholarship Foundation was established in 1951 with the aim of empowering all Wellesley students to reach their highest potential by providing financial assistance for post-secondary education to those who need it. WSF scholarships were, and continue to be, funded by the generosity of members of the Wellesley community who share WSF’s belief that a well-educated society is a thriving society. Learn more about the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation, what it is and what is does .

(Submitted by Nora Tracy Phillips)