The Educational Grants Committee of the Ladies’ Branch of the New Bedford Port Society considered 27 applications before awarding $8,000 in scholarships to 12 successful applicants.

There were five scholarship winners who were also recipients in prior years.

• Nicole Marie Moutinho of Fairhaven, who will be entering her final year at Worcester State College, was awarded $1,000. She is a psychology major.

Seven students received $700 awards. They are:

• Charles “Alex” Sykes of South Dartmouth, who will be entering his second year at Mass. Maritime Academy as a marine engineering major.
• Amanda Jacobsen of Fairhaven, who will be entering her junior year as a psychology major at Roger Williams University.
• Spencer James Vezina of Fairhaven, a 2009 graduate of Fairhaven High School, who hopes to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering.
• Peter Bruce of South Dartmouth, a 2009 graduate of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School, who intends to become a teacher.
• Adam Hart of New Bedford, a 2009 graduate of the city high school, who will be attending Massachusetts Maritime Academy in the fall.
• Peter Collins, a 2009 New Bedford High School graduate, who plans to attend Hampshire College.
• Emily Saunders, a 2009 New Bedford High School graduate, who will be enrolling at UMass Amherst, majoring in political science.

Four applicants were granted $525 scholarships:

• Daniel Christian Bruce of South Dartmouth, who earned his associate’s degree in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University this spring, and will continue his studies towards a business degree this fall.
• Stephanie Wilson of Fairhaven, who will be a senior at Northeastern University this fall, studying biology in hopes of attending medical school.
• Lyndsay May Eldridge of Acushnet, who will enter her sophomore year this fall at Bridgewater State College, where she is studying elementary education.
• Mary Ashley Medeiros, a 2009 graduate of Dartmouth High School, who plans to study marine biology at one of the five universities at which she was accepted.

Since 1968, Sea Lab has been a six-week summer component of the New Bedford Public Schools. Historically, this program has been located by the sea at Fort Rodman in New Bedford. Currently, Sea Lab is a marine and aquatic educational facility servicing New Bedford Public School students interested in studying principles of oceanography, limnology, meteorology, physics, chemistry, geology, and biology as related to the marine and aquatic environments.

Practical outdoor skills, such as swimming, sailing, and snorkeling are also an integral part of the summer Sea Lab experience.

In addition to classroom exercises, students participate in field studies conducted along the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastlines. Also, in collaboration with area universities, Sea Lab students have had the opportunity to participate in on-going scientific research.

This year’s recipients are: Jacob Mendes, Isabella Soares, Zachary Carneiro, Lisa Chan, Shannon Walsh, Colleen Nina Bruce, Alexis Nadeau, and Katherine Mendes.

Here is a gallery of photographs of the project.

If you are interested in learning more about or contributing to the Seamen’s Bethel historic window restoration project, please email president@portsociety.org or call +1-508-992-3295.

The object of Our Corporation shall be to provide financial assistance for the education of needy and deserving students giving first consideration to families of descendants of seamen. Our policy has been to consider only applications of students from the Greater New Bedford area.

Downloadable Scholarship Guidelines (PDF)

Any inquiries can be made directly to lbnbportsociety@yahoo.com.

For more information about the Ladies Branch of the New Bedford Port Society, please visit the Ladies Branch webpage.

We will soon be entering our 180th year serving the seafarers, their families and the Greater New Bedford Community. The Port Society News will keep you up to date about all of the exciting things that take place at 15 Johnny Cake Hill.

Welcome aboard!