MVYouth 2024 Annual Report

MISSION

Supporting the Martha's Vineyard community by investing in its young people.

EXPANSION GRANTS

Capital fundingfor exceptional organizations servingchildren,teens,andyoungadultsonMartha'sVineyard.

EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Educational andtechnical trainingscholarships for deservinghighschool seniors andyoungadultsonMartha'sVineyard.

LETTER CO-CHAIRS fromthe

DEAR FOUNDERS, DONORS AND FRIENDS,

Tenyearshavepassedsinceweestablished MVYouth Inthat time,MVYouthhastransformed fromanideaintoan institution.Withsupport from over 100 Foundersandnumerousannual donors, MVYouthhasinvestedalmost $19 milliondollars intotheVineyardcommunity,includingrecent 2025 grants Wearegrateful for thegeneroussupport and for theopportunitytoimpact theyouthcommunity soprofoundly

Inthefollowingpagesyoucanread updatesfromthe 20 youth-servingorganizationsand100 students MVYouthhassupportedwithgrantsandeducational scholarships.It will beclear toyouimmediately that thegenerousfundingMVYouthhassuppliedfor ten yearshasmadeatremendousdifferenceinthelives of hundredsof youngpeopleandtheir families

Solemnly,weacknowledgethelossof Ron Rappaport Ronwasaninstrumental part of MVYouth- bothaTrusteeandtheAdvisory Board Chair for tenyears Inbothroles,Ronbrought his extensiveawarenessof community needsto MVYouth?sawardmaking Hewill bemissed byus andsomany others.

ReplacingRonasAdvisory BoardChair isLiz Pickman,anAdvisory Boardmember since2016 She andher husbandJimarealsoMVYouthFounders.Liz foundedPolicyStudiesAssociates,Inc,a Washington,DCfirmthat conductsresearchand evaluationineducationandyouthdevelopment, advisingfoundationsandnonprofitsintheareasof

JANUARY 2025

educationandyouthservices.LizlivesinAquinnah andNew York City Wearevery grateful tohaveLiz leadingtheAdvisory Board.

Our dedicated AdvisoryBoardevaluatesall of MVYouth?sgrant andscholarshipapplicantsusing criteriathey generateandupdatetoensureour selectionprocessisclear andtransparent Weare profoundly grateful for thecareandtimethey invest inmakingwiserecommendations

Wethank our Boardof Trusteeswhoestablish policiesfor theresponsiblestewardshipof MVYouth, driveall fundraising,andreview all recommendationsfromtheAdvisoryBoard Their effortstoengageotherstosupport MVYouth?s missioniskey toour expandingcircleof Founders andDonors.

Without our Founders,however,therewould beno MVYouth Weareprofoundly grateful toover 100 FounderswhohavesupportedMVYouthinour first tenyears Your trust andyour sustainedsupport allow ustoinvest generously intheVineyard community Wecouldnot dothiswithout you

Alreadywearelookingaheadtoour next tenyears Weareaskingourselveswhat community needs requireadditional investment?What supportsdo youngadultsneedtopursuebright futures?Weare eager toevolvewiththechangingdemandsof the Vineyardcommunity Andweareeager tocontinue towork withall of youtodoit.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

CO-FOUNDER, CO-CHAIR

CO-FOUNDER, CO-CHAIR

BOB HIGGINS

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

TRUSTEE EMERITUS

DAVID FIALKOW

JIM SWARTZ

MIMI HAAS

STEVE BARNES

DREW CONWAY

RON RAPPAPORT

CINDY DOYLE

WAYNE BUDD

DAN STANTON

ADVISORY BOARD

GEORGE DAVIS

JANE SEAGRAVE

MEG BODNAR

BRIAN MACKEY

DUNCAN PICKARD

CHAIR

JULIANA GERMANI

ANNIE OLLEN

LIZ PICKMAN

RON RAPPAPORT

Wearestill adjustingtothelossof RonaldH.Rappaport,whodiedunexpectedly onJune7,2024.Ronwasinstrumental in establishingMVYouthandadministeringall of thegrantsandeducational scholarshipstheorganization hasawardedsinceits inception For tenyears,Ronwasamember of MVYouth?sBoardof TrusteesandChair of MVYouth?sAdvisory Board Among numerousother communityroles,Ronbrought anintimateunderstandingof community needsand theorganizationsandleaders committedtoaddressingthem.Asamember of bothleadershipgroups,Ronensuredthat our missiontosupport local kids,teens and youngadultswasaccomplished

A service will be held at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 3:00 pm

Ronald H. Rappaport Scholar Fund

Withinitial support providedby generouscontributionsmadetoMVYouth'sRonRappaport Fund,theRappaport family,in partnershipwiththeMartha?sVineyardBank CharitableFoundation,hasestablished theRonaldH Rappaport Scholar Fundto honor Ron?sexceptional leadershipandlifelongcommitment tociviclife

"AmongthemanythingsDadchampioned,threestandout:preservingthecharacteroftheVineyard,pursuingalifedevotedtothepublic good,andsupportinganddevelopingpromisingyoungpeople.WiththeRonaldH.RappaportScholarFund,anannualscholarshipwillbe awardedtoayear-roundislandstudent pursuinganeducationaljourneythat focusesonthecausesandspirit deartoDad?sheart."

- JuliaRappaport

Please consider giving generously. mvbank.com/honoring ron rappaport

Photoby JeannaShepard

Anonymous

Steve& DeborahBarnes

Peter & AdrienneBarris

AndreaBaum

Carol Biondi

David& KarenBrush

Wayne& Jacqui Budd

RichardCanty & HopeWoodhouse

Geoff & Nancy Caraboolad

Peter & MeganChernin

Christian& JessicaConnors

Brian& KarenConway

Drew & KimConway

Barbara& RichardCouch

John& Jill Coyle

Jack Davies& Kay Kendall

Matt & Terri DeSalvo

Kipp& ColleendeVeer

Ken& Cori DiPietro

Ed& JoanDoherty

Rob& Cindy Doyle

Robert & EstaEpstein

SamFeldman

David& NinaFialkow

Jesse& Betsy Fink

TheFledglingFund

FOUNDERS and

DONORS

FOUNDERS

4-YEAR PLEDGE TO DONATE $25,000 ANNUALLY

JohnFisher & Jennifer Caldwell

Fleischner Family CharitableFoundation

Tom& DebanFlexner

Scott & Jennifer Frank

LisaGilligan

BobGoodman& JayneLipman

Joel Greenberg& Marcy Gringlas

Phill & LizGross

Marni Grossman

Mimi andPeter HaasFund

Chuck Hajjar & AnneTamer

John& Jennifer Hayes

Healey Family Foundation

Bob& KristineHiggins

Allan& ShelleyHolt

Alice& Jerry Jacobs

EdwardJepsen

Carol Kenney

Sarah & Warren Kimber

John& CharlotteKlein

Peggy Koenig

Karen & Sandy Loewentheil

TheJeffrey LurieFund

Bill & BethLynch

Martha'sVineyardBank CharitableFoundation

DONORS

$1,000-10,000 DONATIONS

Jonathan& MeredithMeeks

Dan& GloriaO'Connell

Liz& JimPickman

Norman& Margaret Rankow

SteveRattner & MaureenWhite

DianeRiley

Brian & Aileen Roberts

Jason & ShannonRobins

Paul & Jill Ruddock

Steve& DebRusckowski

TheRichardSalomonFamily Foundation

Ken& Pixley Schiciano

Jack & Kathy Shields

Steve& EllenSimmons

Warren & Abigail Spector

Dan& Mary Stanton

Jim& SusanSwartz

Barry & Susan Tatelman

Corey & AnjaThomas

Jerome& MaryVascellaro

LanceWachenheim

John& AmandaWaldron

Amy & JohnWeinberg

Rich& AnnaZannino

Dirk & NatashaZiff

Victor & JackieZollo

Max& BethBardeen

Linda& LennyBell

Jonathan& Jennifer Blum

Holly & RichardBonomo

Shawn& EricaBrennan

SeanBresnan

BrissetteElectric

Paula& Anthony Burke

TimCohan& Audrey McNiff

Bob& ChrisCox

DickinsonFamily Foundation

Ted& Kathi-AnnGage

Beth& MarcGoldberg

Howard & NevaGoldstein

Bill Helman

Michael & JaneHorvitz

DavidLambert

Peter & KarenLawson-JohnstonJr

David& JulieLeibman

Bill & Carol Lewis

Ed& Kathy Ludwig

Drew & CatherineMarcus

Josh& Alex McCall

JimMcKenna

Brian& VictoriaMeany

Bryan& TaraMeehan

Frank & Amy O'Brien

William& PatriciaPhelan

Bud & Chari Polley

Doug& Patty Sacks

Richard& Betsy Sheerr

Nancy Strauss

Alexander & Carol Vietor

Steve& AnnYanez

Yellow Productions

MarieZadeh

10 YEAR IMPACT

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

- 100 studentshavebeensupportedwitheducational andtrainingscholarshipstotaling $7 2 million

- 33 studentshavegraduatedfrom4-year collegesanduniversities 10 studentshave completedprofessional development trainingprograms 57 arecurrentlyinschool

- MVYouthreceivesapplicationsfromat least 30%of thegraduatingclassbetweenour threescholarshipprograms- college,healthcare& educationandworkforcedevelopment.

- MVYouth?sscholarshipsaccount for a25%of thelocal fundingawardedtothesenior class eachyear and60%of thelocal fundingawardedtostudentsintheir second,third and fourthyearsof college

GRANT PROGRAM

- 20 youth-servingorganizationshavebeenfunded withcapital expansiongrantstotaling $11 6 million

- Built acenter for coordinatingfamily mental healthservices;renovatedthemaincabinat a campfor disabled youthandadults;built aheadquartersfor community memberswith autism;andbuilt adental center

- Created 81 new early childcarespacesat four licensedprogramsandsuppliedfundingto opentennew licensedhome-basedchildcareprograms.

- Built abaseball field;renovatedan icearena,skatepark andsailingschooner;replacedan indoor tennisbubble;andupgradedafleet of sailingvessels.

- Expandedafter-school andsummer childcarespacesat threeIslandnon-profits

- Built aneducational spacedevotedtoteachingislandhistory;andexpanded aninstrument lendingprogramwith20 violinsandviolas

- Providedemergency operational support for sevenIslandnon-profit organizationsduring thepandemic

- Enhancedcareer counselingfor highschool studentsandyoungadults.

2024 PRESS

OPERATING REPORTS

MVYouth'sfinancial statementsareauditedannuallyby Gerstle, RosenandGoldenberg,PA All expenseslistedbelow wereincurred betweenJanuary1 - December 31,2024

OPERATING INCOME

Earmarkedfundsfor grantsandscholarshipsthat havenot yet beendisbursedareinvested The annual incomefromtheseinvestmentswasagainsubstantial enoughtooffset theannual operatingexpenses Asaresult,wewereinapositiontoNOTpassalongany operatingexpense bill toour Founders Theremaininginvestment incomewill berolledforwardto2025

INCOME & PROGRAM REPORTS

Contributionsreceivedin2023 funded the2024 programexpenses

PROGRAM EXPENSES

EXPANSION GRANTS anOVERVIEW

29%Early Childhood Education & Care - $2,671,630

Created81 new childcarespacesat four licensedprogramsandsuppliedfundingtoopentennew licensedhome-basedchildcare programs.

- MVCS-EarlyChildhoodPrograms,FelixNeck,PlumHillSchool,VineyardMontessoriSchool,MVCS-FamilyChildcareCapital NeedsProject,MVCS-FamilyChildcareLendingLibrary

23%Athletics& Recreation - $2,177,382

Built a baseball field. Renovatedanicearena, skatepark andsailingschooner. Replacedanindoor tennisbubbleandadded temperaturecontrol.Upgradinga fleet of sailingvessels.

- MVLittleLeague,MVSkateParkAssociation,MVArena,VineyardFamilyTennis,MVOceanAcademy,SailMV

19%Physical & Mental Health and Disability Services- $1,770,780

Built a center for coordinatingfamily mental healthservices, a dental center andheadquartersfor youthwithautism Renovated themaincabinat a campfor disabledyouthandadults.

- MVCS-IslandWideYouthCollaborative,IslandHealthCare, IslandAutismGroup,CampJabberwocky,

17%After-School & Summer Child Care - $1,547,014

Expandedafter-school andsummer childcarespacesat threeIsland,youth-servingnon-profits.

- Boys&GirlsClub,FelixNeck,YMCA

9%Emergency Covid Support - $812,150

Providedemergencyoperational support for sevenIslandnon-profit organizationsduringthepandemic.

- MVCS,YMCA,B&GC,IGI, IslandFoodPantry,MVEarlyChildcareProvidersEmergencyFund,Covid-19 SchoolSurveillance TestingProgram

3%History, Arts & Music - $248,438

Built a youthspacedevotedtoteachingislandhistory.Expandedaninstrument lendingprogramwith20 violinsandviolas.

- MVMuseum,MVChamberMusicSociety

1%Career Counseling - $93,342

Enhancedcareer counselingfor highschool studentsandyoungadults.

- ACEMV

Inour first tenyears,MVYouthhas awarded23 ExpansionGrantsto20 local youth-serving organizations,andawarded emergency operational grantsduringthepandemic Thepiechart identifies thevariouscategoriesof youthwork wehaveinvested in.Thebar graphidentifiesthenumber of awards madeinvariousamounts Thelist totheleft identifiestheimpactsof our investments

2015-2024 Awards

$9,320,986

29%Early Childhood Education & Care

1%Career Counseling

3%History, Arts& Music

9%Emergency Covid Support

17%After-school & Summer Childcare

23%Athletics& Recreation

19%Physical & Mental Health and Disability Services

Number of Grant Awards in VariousSizes

2025 EXPANSION GRANT

COMMITMENT OF FUNDS

Inlate-December 2024,MVYouthcommitted over $2 3 millioninExpansionGrant fundingtofour youth-serving organizations,thelargest annual grant total intheorganization?shistory.All of theprojectsdescribedbelow areactively seekingadditional investment tofully fundtheir projects.MVYouth'scommitment of fundsiscontingent onthe organizationsraisingall neededfundstoaccomplishtheir projects.

We are hopeful that MVYouth's endorsement of these important youth serving projects will catalyze giving.

ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION MARTHA'SVINEYARD (ACE MV)

Career Pathways Project Award: $240,000

Fundswill support theexpansionof programsandservicesfor youngpeopleseekingcareersin thetradesandhealthcareby expandingcertificationprograms,providingcareer navigation support,expandingmentorshipprograms,andfacilitatingemployment opportunities

CHILMARK PRESCHOOL

CPS New Building Project

Pledge: $600,000

Fundswill support theconstructionof anew preschool facility ontheChilmark School campus. Thenew facility will havetwoclassrooms,doublingenrollment from20 to39 children,addinga toddler programandadditional preschool spaces

MARTHA'SVINEYARD OCEAN ACADEMY

Shenandoah 2

Pledge: $500,000

Fundswill support theconstructionof Shenandoah2,alarge,sea-worthy schooner that will enableweek-longsummer voyages,new shoulder seasonprogramsandaccredited international voyagesfor youngadults.

YMCA OF MARTHA'SVINEYARD

Field House Pledge: $1,000,000

Fundswill support theconstructionof anew FieldHouse- amulti-usegymandbasketball court, indoor track;part-timetoddler programspace;expandedafter-school andcampspace;and dedicatedroomsfor apopular youthdanceprogram

2024 EXPANSION GRANT PROJECT REPORT

TheMartha'sVineyardBoys& GirlsClub(MVBGC)servesnearly 25%of theisland's K-8 students,withadaily attendanceof over 100.It iscommittedtodiversity and inclusion,servingyouthfromall backgrounds,andpartneringwithislandschools,and IslandAutismGrouptosupport neurodivergent youth

MVBGCoffershigh-quality out-of-school learningexperiences,includingeducational, socio-emotional,and physical activities Year-roundprogramsincludemeals,academic support,sports,recreation,creativearts,andworkforcedevelopment TheClubis critical tothedevelopment andwell-beingof Martha?sVineyardyouth,partnering withlocal schoolstosupport children?slearningand addressemergent needs

New Facility Construction

Asof September 15,2024,contractshavebeensigned withanarchitect andageneral contractor for thenew 21,848 sq ft facility Thenew buildingwill includeafull-size highschool gym,state-of-the-art programmingareas,and outdoor recreational areas Thisproject will addressthelimitationsof thecurrent agingbuildingandallow MVBGCtoexpanditsreach,enhanceprogramofferings,and improveoperational efficiency. 85%of the$16.6 millionrequiredfor thenew facility hasbeensecured.

MVBGCremainscommittedto meetingtheevolvingneedsof islandyouthand is excitedabout thepositiveimpact thenew facilitywill haveonthelivesof Martha's Vineyard'syouthfor generationstocome Mission: Dedicated to empowering all island youth to achieve their full potential asinnovative, caring, and responsible citizens

2023 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

SAIL MARTHA'SVINEYARD

Marine Education Expansion Award: $300,000

Mission: Sail Martha?sVineyard isdedicated to protecting and perpetuating our island?smaritime heritage and culture. We provide maritime skillsand training to those of the community who could not otherwise accessthem

2024 wasayear of new arrivalsfor Sail MV Thesecondyear of MVYouth'ssupport financed our fleet of new Hansaaccessibility craft,whichwewelcomedtothewaters of theLagooninearly July These,alongwithall our other craft,createaunique programprovidingfreewater sportstrainingtoisland residents,regardlessof their abilities Over 300 islandresidentstook tothewater with Sail MV thissummer,and our scholarshipsprovidedfamilieswithover $120,000 incampprograms,allowing their childrentoenjoy everythingtheLagoonhastooffer

SailMobility hasbeenpart of Sail MV?ssummer operationssince2019,but thisyear thefleet of Hansa2 3sand303shasbeengame-changingfor theisland'sonly adaptivesailingprogram.Theseboatsaccommodatestudentswitharangeof physical andintellectual disabilities,allowingthemtohelmsmall sailingcraft for the first time,experiencingthewind andspray intheir faces Seeingtheseyoungpeople andtheir familiestakingtothewater together incraft specifically designedtomake theseexperiencespossiblehasbeentruly revolutionary for our programs

MARTHA'SVINEYARD COMMUNITY SERVICES

Family Child Care Capital Needs Project Award: $490,000

Family Child Care Network Lending Library Award: $ 49,380

Mission: To enhance the livesof those it serves by meeting the comprehensive needs of individuals, families, and the community through a partnership of programsthat provide accessible education, health and human servicesof the highest quality

Family ChildCareprovidersplay anintegral roleinmeetingtheneedsof working familiesontheIsland In2023 weestablishedtheFamily Child CareCapital Needs Project toconnect providerswiththefundsneededtorenovatetheir home-based learningenvironmentstomeet thestate?slicensingrequirements.Duringoneof the major stormsthat hit theislandin2024,aretainingwall inaveteranprovider?s outdoor learningenvironment failed Theimpact of thiscatastrophicevent created serioussafety issuesand reducedtheprogram?soutdoor spaceby 50% TheCapital NeedsProject fundedtherequiredrepairs,ensuringthat theprogramcould continueto offer ahigh-qualityprogramtochildrenand familiesinour community! Grant fundingthroughtheUnitedWay allowedtheFamily Child CareNetwork (FCCN)toinvitetwoexperiencedproviderstoserveasambassadorsfor theFCCN in2024 Theambassadorsengaged inoutreachwithprospectiveproviders, attendingcommunity eventsandmeetingwithinterestedindividuals They answeredquestionsabout thelicensingprocessandshared their experience transformingtheir homeintoanenrichinglearningenvironment.Wearecurrently workingwithastrongapplicant whohopestobeginservingsixchildreninher home thisyear Weareplanningnew and innovativestrategiesto engageprospective providersin2025,movinguscloser to our goal of licensingninenew programs!

Thegenerosity of MVYouthalsoallowedtheFCCN toestablishalendinglibrary of enrichingcurriculummaterials Theproviderschoosethematerialsthat best meet theuniqueneedsof thechildrenintheir program,allowingthemtoindividualize their curriculum.Thelendinglibrary hasinspired theproviderstoshareideasabout how tousethematerialstoextendthechildren?slearninginall developmental areas TheUnitedWay?sfundingalsosupportedthecost of monthly professional development workshops Our FCCN Coordinator collaboratedwiththeproviders toplanand implement meaningful experiencesfocusedontheir areasof interest. Thetopicsexploredincluded thefollowing:Fiber and Felting,Musicand Movement andEarly Literacy!

2022 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORT

ISLAND HEALTH CARE

Dental Clinic Award: $500,000

Mission: To provide the people of Martha?sVineyard with access to equitable, high-quality, affordable health care; resourcesand support for social and economic needs; and public health leadership

OnDecember 11,2024,IslandHealthCarewelcomeditsfirst patientstoour new four-chair Dental Center at 1 Mariner'sLandinginEdgartown Under Dental Director DinoMaggiulli'sleadershipandwiththeguidanceof BostonUniversity's GoldmanSchool of Dental Medicine,wehavebuilt acomprehensivedental homefor Vineyardresidentswhohavelackedaccesstocare

A significant focusof our practiceisonprovidingessential dental caretothe2,500+ islandyouthwhopreviously had limitedor noaccesstooral healthcareand weare especially proudtooffer servicesregardlessof insurancestatusor ability topay So far,wehavemadetremendousprogressschedulingappointmentsfor the1,200 patientsonour waitinglist andlook forwardtoservingeveryonewhoneedsa dentist ontheisland

Weareso thankful to MVYouth,our advisors,supporters,andfriendsfor helpingto makeour community'sDental Center areality

2021 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

ADULT COMMUNITY

EDUCATION MARTHA'S VINEYARD

Career Pathways Advancement Award: $93,342

Mission: Our mission isto provide adult Vineyard residentswith accessto learning experiencesand community support, enabling them to thrive through education, skill building, and professional development.

It hasbeenayear of growthat ACEMV! Under new leadershiptheorganizationhas transitionedtoanew (old!)name,and continuestowork towardsincreasedaccess for Islanderstohigher education,workforcetrainingand professional development opportunities.

A partnershipwithMVYouth hasallowedACEMV tobegintoconsider waystobuild bridgesbetweenislandhighschoolsand ongoingcareer navigationsupport.It isthe goal of our organizationtobeableto servepost-secondary studentswhohaveopted for alternativepathwaysto 4-year collegeexperiences,withworkforcetraining, community collegecoursework andother professional development opportunities In2023 wecontinued toformalizepartnershipswithbothislandhighschools,and look forward tocoordinatingmoreprogramsandresourcesin2024

ACEMV?scurrent Career ExplorationprogramsincludeEarly ChildhoodEducation, offeredinbothEnglish andBrazilianPortuguese;LanguageInterpretingand Translation;Small BusinessandEntrepreneurial Management,and AlliedHealth Care,inadditiontoworkforcetrainingprogramsinElectrical Coding,CSLprep training,and our School for Off-seasonSurvival,offeringclassesand workshopsin financial literacy,languageand small businesssupport.

Welook forward todevelopingmoreopportunitiesfor career explorationand pathwayssupport for youngadultsin2024,and aregrateful to MVYouthfor continuedpartnershipand sharedcommitment toservingislandlearnersof all ages

MARTHA'SVINEYARD OCEAN ACADEMY

Shenandoah, Voyage into the Future Award: $100,000

Mission: To help youth develop lifelong purpose, happiness, and resilience through guided voyagesof self-discovery

MVOA hasreceivedsignificant support for our campaigntobuildShenandoahII,a necessary steptopreserveandgrow MV OceanAcademy'syouth mental health promotionservices Thesupport totals$3,250,000,including$800,000 fromthe EdwardsHarrisFamily Foundation,a$500,000 pledgefromMVYouth,$370,000 fromtheCouchFamily Foundation,$300,000 fromtheSibbri Foundation,a $250,000 grant fromtheMV Bank CharitableFoundation,a$250,000 pledgefrom theMcDonaldFamily,$250,000 fromananonymousdonor,and other inspiring gifts.MVYouth's2025 $500,000 pledgewill bereleasedonceOceanAcademy has raisedanother $2,000,000

Update: Casey Blum,LICSW,published her first articleabout her researchon student outcomesaboardShenandoahintheJournal of Experiential Education Thisisasignificant milestoneinthismulti-year study Thedatainforms improvementstoour curriculumand canhelpoutdoor programsworldwideby demonstratinghow positiveyouthdevelopment canbeimplementedintothe curriculum.Hereisalink tothearticle'sabstract.

https://journalssagepub com/doi/10 1177/10538259241275051

Casey alsopassedher social work examandisnow anindependently licensed therapist inMassachusetts,anessential steptowardour goal toaddresstheyouth mental healthcrisisonMartha'sVineyard

Weareextremely grateful to our amazingcommunity for supportingour effortsto developresilienceinyouthso they arepreparedto facelife'schallenges

ISLAND AUTISM GROUP

Island Autism Center Award: $250,000

Mission: To strive for the lifelong independence, confidence, and happinessof autistic individualsand their familieson Martha?s Vineyard, through housing, life skills, enrichment, job training, and therapies.

Who We Serve

Autismratesarerising,withtheCDCestimatingthat 1 in36 childrenand2 21%of adultsintheUShaveAutismSpectrumDisorder (ASD).Whilesupport servicesare crucial,they areofteninconsistent dueto budget constraints

Theislandspecifically faceschallenges.Thereareapproximately450 childrenwith special needs,and anestimated 50 childrenwhowould benefit fromtheCenter?s summer campprogram Thenumber of autisticindividualsswellsduringthesummer monthsduetoseasonal residents AdultswithASD areevenharder to track duetoa lack of diagnosisandsupport systemsbeyond school age.

TheCenter focusesonaddressingtheneedsof autisticchildrenand youngadultswho currently havelimitedaccesstosocial,emotional,and physical development programs. Weaimtofill thiscritical gapand empower autisticindividualstoreachtheir full potential

TherearethreemainpillarstotheAutismCenter:residences,programmingandour communitymicro-farm.

Residences

TheCenter will provideeight residential unitswithvaryingconfigurations, accommodating12-18 residents Someunitswill offer 24/7 on-sitestaff support Additionally,acommunal Hub Houseincludesaprogrammanager?sapartment,guest rooms,andacommercial kitchen A barnprovidesspacefor community meetings,day programs,and gatherings

Programming

TheCenter expandsuponour existingprogramsfor autisticindividuals,offering therapeuticandenrichment activitiestailoredtoindividual needs It servesasahubfor our summer campsand after-school programs Adult residentscan mentor younger children,fosteringpositiveconnectionsand asenseof community.Partnershipswith islandorganizationsandbusinessescreateopportunitiesfor community integration Dedicated spaceswithintheCenter facilitatecollaborationamongfamilies,friends, schools,and community members

CommunityMicro-Farm

A farmonthepropertyprovideshands-onlearningopportunitiesfor residentsand day-campparticipants.They can participateinplanting,harvesting,andlearningabout conservation Thefarmalsocreatesjobopportunitieswithinthebarn,kitchen,camp store, andfarmstand

2020 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

PLUM HILL SCHOOL

Forever Home Award: $350,000

Mission: To meet and support children?sunfolding capacitiesand awakening interests. Through a nature and play-based curriculum, we support the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual growth of each child We are committed to the idealsand educational philosophy set forth by Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education

Thisyear thechildrenandteachershavesettleddeeper intoenjoyingour beautiful West Tisbury spaceandsurroundingsandfeel very grateful for thesupport of MVYouth

Eachclassroomisfull andthrivingandcarryinglongwaitlists.Wearebeginningto visionfurther expansionof our school year programmingsothat wecancontinueto offer quality,Waldorf-inspiredcareandlearningfor moreIsland families.

PlumSummer,our summer programisflourishingandlovedbymany familiesnear and far Wefeel fortunatetobebuildingacampfamily that returnsyear after year and additionally tooffer essential summer caretoworkingfamiliesontheIsland

Wewereabletocompletesomelandscapingprojectsoutdoorsaddingperennial plantingsonthenurseryplayground aswell aspurchasinganew play set for the preschool playground

Wearethrilledtobesendingtwoof our teacherstoaWaldorf Early Childhood trainingthissummer at theSunbridgeInstituteinNew York Supportingour teachers intheir professional development isessential tothecontinuedenrichment of our curriculumfor thechildren

PlumHill remainsdedicatedtoprovidingaloving,warmandhome-likeenvironment wherechildrenarefreeexploretheworldthroughimaginativeplay

VINEYARD MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Toddler & Preschool Community Expansion Project Award: $450,000

Mission: Vineyard Montessori School offerschildren an equitable and joyful environment to foster a lifetime love of learning, while partnering with familiesand collaborating with the community.

TheVineyardMontessori School (VMS)Toddler classroomshavebeenfull sincethe doorsopenedintheFall of 2021 andmaintainawaitlist That sameyear,VMSbecame theIsland?slargest provider of early childhoodcareandeducation. Wearenow lookingtothefuture!

Theneedfor increasedinfant andtoddler carehaslonggoneunansweredintheisland community Inthefall of 2023,VMSlaunchedtheCampaignfor EquitableAccessto Education:BuildingTomorrow Now,andneedsisland-widesupport tomakethis happen.Our community school knowsthereisnot enoughearly education& care availableonMartha?sVineyard,andispositionedtoclosetheVineyardgapbycreating 30 new spaces Thisproject iscritical tomeetingthedemand andensuringthat families haveaccesstohigh-quality early educationwith:

- Newly ExpandedInfant classrooms

- Increased toddler andpreschool classrooms

- Staff housing

Vineyard Montessori School cannot dothisalone Visit vineyardmontessori com/giveto learnmoreabout thisimpactful campaignfor ahealthy islandfuture

2019 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

CAMP JABBERWOCKY

Main Cabin Renovation and Expansion Award: $400,000

Mission: To provide a residential vacation camp for people with disabilitieswhile providing respite for camper's caregivers. We provide recreation and enrich the livesof our campersby creating a supportive environment that promotes the fulfillment of human potential and fostersindependence and self-determination; we strive to be a community that isan example of inclusivity, love, and mutuality.

Thesummer of 2024 usheredinCampJabberwocky?s71st seasonof providinga magical summer campexperienceto campers! It wasasummer filledwithadventures andcamptraditions,new friendsand old,tryingnew things,sunny daysat thebeach, and,most importantly,community.Weseethepower of community inactionevery day at camp In2024,that lookedlike:

- Sharingadventureswith150 campersof all ages,creatingcountlessmemories together

- ExpandingFamily Camp,connecting25 familiesover threedifferent sessions

- Trustingintheexpertise,compassion,and dedicationof over 200 volunteers

- Sharing231 mealstogether ? welovegatheringat thelongtablesinthe renovatedMainCabin!

- Visiting25 islandpartnersfor adaptivekayaking,livemusicperformances, therapeutichorseback riding,and somuchmore

- Scrubbingmoredishesand washingmorebeachtowelsthanwecanpossibly count!

- Giving300 family membersachancetorecharge,knowingtheir loved onewas safe,happy,andcaredfor

"Thiswasthebest summerofmyson?slife.Notonlydidhehaveamazingexperiences,buthe madelifelongfriendsat acampthatembracedhimwithunconditionalloveandacceptance CampJabberwockyallowsourspecialneedschildrentothriveandfindindependence,while familiescanexhale,knowingtheirlovedonesaresurroundedbythesamecareandjoyas theyareat home.Ourheartscouldn? t bemorefilledwithgratitude."-parentofrecent camper Wearedeeply grateful for thesupport fromMVYouthand our Islandcommunity,who helpmakethisimpact possible

YMCA OF MV

Youth Space Repurpose Project Award: $200,000

Covid-19 Emergency Grant Award: $200,000

Mission: To improve the quality of life for children, individuals, and familieson the Island by helping our community members realize their fullest potential through the development of body, mind and spirit.

2024 wasawonderful andincreasingly busy year at theYMCA of Martha?sVineyard Weremainedfocused onmeetingtheneedsof our growingislandcommunity by supportingfamilieswithquality childcareandprogramming.

TheMVYouthclassroomcontinued toprovidevaluablelicensedspacefor after school caretosupport workingisland families.Our curriculumincluded developmentally appropriateactivitiesand learningexperiencesthat fosteredthe spirt of inclusionandhelped kidsgrow socially,creatively,andacademically

Thisyear,theMVYouthclassroomallowedustoincreaseour community collaborationstohelpmeet theuniqueneedsof our special island Theclassroom wasutilizedtohost amongothers,HeadStart andTheMartha?sVineyard Community ServicesFamily Center todeliver diverse,impactful programmingfor parents,caregivers,and children

Thissummer,whilestill remaininghometoour mini-library andBuddy Readprogram startedin2023,theMVYouthclassroomwasthoughtfully transformedintoaspace usedby summer camperstoexploreand participateinmindful movement classes In addition,theclassroomwashomethissummer toanewly createdgratitude journalingprogram.Staff deliveredweekly promptstoencourageyoungcampersto think about what they werethankful for TheMVYouth classroomprovided a welcomingspacefor camperstosit down,reflect andmeaningfully convey their feelingsof gratitudethroughwritinganddrawing

Inour YMCA gratitudejournal,wecontinuetoholdMVYouthbothinour heartsand onour list of thingswearesothankful for

VINEYARD FAMILY TENNIS

Bubble Replacement Award: $250,000

HVAC System Award: $ 75,000

Mission: To provide the Island community with the opportunity to learn and enjoy the game of tennisthrough a combination of year-round progressive instruction, training, and match play programs VFT cultivatesproficiency in a life-sport as well as instillsthe qualities of sportsmanship, commitment, perseverance and character in island children and adultsalike

It hasbeensix yearsyearssinceVineyardFamily Tenniswaswelcomed intothe islandcommunity asafamily oriented,non-profit tennisprogramopento playersof all agesregardlessof income Weareproudtohaveestablishedano-cost membershipprogramfor all islandchildrenwithaffordableprogrammingand discountsfor multiplefamily membersandincreasedlesson frequency.

Thispast year VineyardFamily Tenniscontinued togrow asour popular junior development program,summer camps,andadult tennisactivitieswelcomedanew generationof players Our after school programrantocapacity asour coaches trainedchildrenages3-18 eachafternoon Summer at VFTwasexceptionallyactive withour morning,afternoonand full-daycampersenjoyingtennisdrills,gamesand fun.Adult tennisenthusiastsalsobenefited beforeand after campand onweekends andeveningsthroughopen play andprivateand groupinstruction

VFTwasrecently namedanofficial National Junior Tennis& LearningChapter (NJTL)throughtheUSTA Foundation Asanofficial NJTLchapter,weplantolaunch anenhancedafter-school programcombiningtennisalongwithanew learningand tutoringprogram

Our adaptivetennisprogramcontinued itswork aswerenewedour partnership withACEingAutism Asanofficial partner,weoffer on-court opportunitiestohelp childrenwithautismgrow,developand benefit fromsocial connectionsand fitness throughno-cost tennisprogramming

Whilewearesovery proudof VineyardFamily Tennis,weknow that our work wouldnot havebeenpossiblewithout thegenerosity of MVYouth VFTisforever grateful toMVYouthfor their continuedsupport Wetruly enjoy sharingthis life-sport andall of thebenefitsthat it provides Together withMVYouth,wehope tocontinueour work intheMartha?sVineyardcommunity for many yearsto come

2018 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

MARTHA'SVINEYARD MUSEUM

Educational Infrasctructure Award: $219,138

Mission: To inspire all people to discover, explore, and strengthen their connections to thisIsland and its diverse heritage.

TheMorganLearningCenter allowsustodreamupnew programmingthat meets theneedsof our islandcommunity and createsspacefor connectionandgrowth Thepast year saw many MV Museumvisitorsengagewithhistory innew ways withinour versatileclassroomsetting.

Our youngest visitorslovedcomingtomeet Cliffordat theMuseumthisyear Many childrenfoundwelcomingspaceonthestorytimerugintheclassroombefore embarkingtofind theBigRedDogwithfamily membersor teachersintow

Islandelementary studentscontinuedtovisit theMuseuminrecord numbersto beginlearningjourneys For students,thelearningcenter isawelcomingand transformativeplacewherethey canview andtouchitemsfromthepast,engagein experimentsand reenactments,and feel comfortableaskingquestionsand interactingwithmuseumeducators.

Middleandhighschool studentshavefoundmeaningful momentswithinour classroomwallsaswell.Examiningarchival materialsupclose,hostingthefirst BrazilianYouth conference,or debriefingafter conductingresearcharejust some of thewaysour older studentshaveutilized theMorganLearningCenter

A widerangeof publiceventstook placeinour classroomin2024:Discovery Days summer programwasbasedintheMorganLearningcenter for fivebusy summer weeks,monthly 4-H meetingstook place,upcyclingworkshops,Nancy LuceDay, andHalloweenontheHill all madegood useof our classroom?sversatility.

Theclassroomcontinuestobeahubfromwhichsomany enduringandenriching experiencesarepossiblewithinour Museum.

MARTHA'SVINEYARD COMMUNITY SERVICES

Early Childhood Programs Facility Award: $1,000,000

Mission: To enhance the livesof those it serves by meeting the comprehensive needsof individuals, families, and the community through a partnership of programsthat provide accessible education, health and human servicesof the highest quality.

MVYouth?stransformativegrant hasallowedour Early ChildhoodProgramsto continuetogrow and thrive InFY25 our Early Educationand CareCenter was awardedanew contract withtheDepartment of Early Educationand Careto providefinancial assistanceand comprehensivewrap-around supportstoenrolled families.Wewereawarded25 contractedslotstoservefamiliesexperiencing homelessness,familiesworkingwiththeDepartment of ChildrenandFamilies, familieswhoseincomeisunder 50%of theStateMedianIncomeandparentsunder 24 Thisawardensuresthat familieswithcomplexneedshaveaccesstoa high-qualityearly childhoodprogram

Thecost of childcarecreatesafinancial hardshipfor many workingfamiliesonthe island Wearegrateful tohavereceivedfundingfromSloughFarmtoaddressthis need.Wepartnered tocreatetheChildCareSubsidy Programtosupport families whosehousehold incomeisabovetheincomethresholdfor existingfunding opportunities Theprogramsupported54 children,providing$90,794 dollarsin financial assistance Thefundsweredistributed to9 center-basedprogramsand 6 family childcareprogramsinour community.A participant communicatedthe program?simpact,?Asafamily withbothparentsworkingfull time,thisassistance hasbeeninvaluableinhelpingusmanagethecostsof livingonMartha'sVineyard?

Our Early ChildhoodProgramscontinuetofoster strongcommunity partnerships tomeet theuniqueneedsof thefamiliesweserve InApril and November,Head Start and theFamily Center collaboratedtobringPolishedtoour Early Childhood Center Polishedisateamof experienceddental professionalsthat offer portable, preventivedental healthservices.They providedscreeningsandcleaningsfor over 80 childrenduringeachvisit! Wealsooffered awiderangeof educationand support programsincludingParentingJourney,atwelve-week evidence-based programdesigned tohelpmothers,fathers,and caregiversincreasetheir confidence,capability,and resiliency ?asindividualsand asparents.

2017 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

MARTHA'SVINEYARD ARENA

Renovation Project Award: $1,000,000

Mission: To provide a safe, healthy and self-sustaining recreational facility that fulfillsthe skating needs of all the residentsand visitors of Martha?sVineyard.

TheMartha'sVineyardIceArenaremainsacommunity rink wherepeopleof all ages, abilities,and experiencelearnnew skillsandbuildself-confidenceinasafeand inclusiveenvironment Fromtiny skaterstoadult hockey players,theArenafosters community engagement andenrichesthelivesof children,teenagers,and adults. In2024,theArenabustledwithhockeyplayers,figureskaters,tournaments,ice shows,andpublicskatingsessions.Onaverage,over 1,500 Islanderswalkedthrough thefacility?sslidingglassdoorsmultipletimestopractice,compete,and preform

MV YouthHockey continued tooffer opportunitiesat theHouseMites,Girls Ospreys,U8,U10,U12 andU14 levels Focusedonearly exposureandskill development,theLearntoPlay Programentered itssecondyear andsuccessfully enhancedtheHouseMitesProgram Under theguidanceof dedicatedvolunteer coaches,theU8-U14 competitiveteamssaw tremendousgrowthintalent,proudly securingmultipletournament-winningbannersinall divisions.

Martha?sVineyardRegional HighSchool continued itsrichtraditionof stronghockey programs Withskill,determination,andenormousprideof place,theboysand girls teamsbothqualifiedandadvanced inthestateplayoff tournaments

MV FigureSkatingClubcontinuedto buildanice-friendly foundationwiththe youngest of skatersthroughtheLearntoSkateProgram TheMV FigureSkatingClub BridgeProgramofferedskaterstheopportunity tocultivateintricatefootwork, spiral,spin,and jumpskillstoadvancetotheFreestyleProgram Theseparticipants arededicated youthwhotraincountlesshourstocompeteandtest withU.S.Figure Skating

TheMartha?sVineyardIceArenacommunity remainsincredibly grateful toMVYouth for their unwaveringsupport,not only providinganenvironment for physical activity, but theability for Islandyouthtocreatelastingfriendshipsandtransferablelifeskills

FELIX NECK WILDLIFE

SANCTUARY

Education & Camp Barn Award: $350,000

Mission: To protect wildlife, conserve and restore resilient land, advocate for impactful environmental policies, offer nationally recognized education programsfor adultsand children, and provide endless opportunitiesto experience the outdoors at our wildlife sanctuaries. Explore, find inspiration, and take action at massaudubon org

MassAudubonat FelixNeck?sFernandFeather Campcelebratedits60thyear of sharingnaturewithislandchildren It wasafantasticseasonwithover 225 unique campersparticipatingin430 campsessions. Campersexploredandlearnedabout marinelife,coastal habitats,local floraandfauna,climatechange,and more outdoorsandintheEducationandCampBarnMVYouth helpedfund They createdfriendshipsandmemoriestolast alifetime

FernandFeather Preschool isprovidingitssixthyear servingtheneedfor early educationfor our community intheBarn Last June,theclassof 2023 graduated eight preschoolerseager and ready tomoveontoisland kindergartens Thisschool year kickedoff withnew facesand families,aswell asnew staff,thoughenrollment wasreducedasnosuitablelicensedPreschool Director appliedfor thevacant position Preschool continuestobeanintegral part of our servingour community withalongwaitlist for eachyear Our programhelpsfamiliesget thecarethey need andstudentsdivedeepintolocal natural history throughage-appropriate lessons,activities,and games,whileexploringMassAudubon?s200-acre Sanctuary

2016 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

MARTHA'SVINEYARD

SKATEPARK ASSOCIATION

Completion & Expansion Project Award: $252,172

Mission: To build and maintain a public skatepark accessible to island children of all agesand abilities. The park providesa safe, sustainable and dynamic experience for anyone interested in skateboarding MVSPA will continue to introduce programming that encouragesnew participation in the sport and sustained involvement within the island community

Thefreeand publicMV Skatepark remainsahappy andexcitingplacefor theyouth togather andrecreate Fromtoddlerstohighschool tomiddle-aged,girlsand boys It servesawiderangeof thepopulation.Evenwhenit istwenty degreesand iceis coveringportionsof theconcrete, youcan still findkidsrollingaroundthedry parts of theskatepark Theconcreteobstaclesbuilt withour MVYouthgrant are appreciatedand regularly receivepraisefromvisitors ThanksagainMVYouth!

MARTHA'SVINEYARD CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY

Access & Inspiration Strings Program Award: $29,300

Mission: To promote and support classical music learning opportunitiesfor Island youth

In2024 TheMartha?sVineyardChamber MusicSociety hasrealizedalongtime goal of providingyear roundmusiceducationandcommunity concerts Our programnow providesfor monthly school year visitsfromstringensembleswho bothteachintheschoolsandprovideafreecommunity concert,all thewhile continuingour longtimesummer programming Thisgoal wassparkedby our long-timeArtist inResidence(AIR)Programoriginally fundedby MVYouth We havenow offered,annually,9 AIRensembles,thisyear withtheThaleaString Quartet,aneducator awardwinningquartet lauded for their uniqueapproachto teachingandcommunity engagement Thequartet brought their innovativestyle andstrongeducationbackgroundto Martha?sVineyardfor aweek of teaching, coaching,andplayingmusicwithuptotwohundred islandstringplayers MVCMScontinuestowork closely withtheschool stringsteacherstoensure that thestudentsof Martha?sVineyardhavegreat opportunitiesfor expanding their skillsinmusic Wecontinueour community outreachby bringingnew ensemblesand uniqueprogramsincludingafall concert by MikeBlock Bandand BallaKouyaté,Silk RoadEnsemblemusiciansto thePACat theHighSchool

2015 EXPANSION GRANT PROJECT REPORTS

Mission: To enhance the livesof those it serves by meeting the comprehensive needs of individuals, families, and the community through a partnership of programsthat providesaccessible education, health and human servicesof the highest quality

2024 wasayear of growth,connection,andunforgettablemomentsat IWYC! From empoweringprogramsliketheMisty EquineSocial SkillsGroup,Teen Support Groups,Afterschool Cultural Clubfor tweens andLGBTQ+community and allies meetupsfor teens,toenrichingdiverseeventsand special speakersat local schools, we?vebuilt astronger,moreinclusivecommunity together

Inthelast year,wecelebratedthroughfamily events,acommunity baby shower, andeven asoccer clinicfor pre-teensduringtheSummer Our first-ever staff retreat wasahighlight,fosteringdeeper connectionsand professional development We?vesaidsomebittersweet goodbyes,but we?vealsowelcomed new faceswhobrought freshenergy andideas!

MARTHA'SVINEYARD

LITTLE LEAGUE

Penn

Field Award: $177,810

Mission: To provide each player the opportunity to play baseball in a supportive and rewarding environment that emphasizesskills, fun and enjoyment; to create a challenging environment for playerswho aspire to play at a higher level; and to foster character building by encouraging fair and respectful play for children ages 4-19 yearsold.

In2024,Martha?sVineyardLittleLeaguecelebrated45 yearsandre-introduced a girlssoftball program,back for thefirst timeinmorethantenyears! Four Little Leaguebaseball levels& theBabeRuthbaseball programengaged over 220 players, aged4 to16 years-old,and their families.

Eachspring,weenthusiastically welcomebaseball and softball season Thecritical support fromour small,local businessesismuchappreciatedaseachdollar directly supportsour playersand families Our fundraisingexceededexpectationsthisyear, sowewereableto offer moreregistrationscholarshipstosupport our island families,and ensurethefivecommunity baseball and softball fieldswereproperly maintained.

Wededicatedthe2024 seasontofiveformer MVLLplayersor coacheswhohad passedaway much toosoon(Joel Rebello,WaylonSauer,Michael Brown,Cris Vought & ChrisSharkovitz) Familieswereinvited tothemoundto throw afirst pitch

PennField,whichwaspartially fundedby MVYouth,wasvery activewithMajor leaguegames,T-ball games,girlssoftball games,aswell asour Memorial Day weekendlocal All-Star game,AwardsandChampionshipDay Additionally,several summer LittleLeagueWorldSeriesgamesfor our 11 & 12 year-old teamswere locally hosted GrandSlamBaseball MV ransummer drop-in clinicsand inthefall offeredfreesandlot pick-upgamesthereaswell

Thevolunteer coaches,familiesand playerslook forward tocreatinglasting memories Wecontinuetoimproveupon our long-running,community-based, youthsportsprogram At theendof 2024,MVLL?sBoard madethedifficult decision tomoveour national affiliationaway fromLittleLeague,dueto inconsistencieswith qualifyingdatesfor aplayer?sleagueage.ThechangetoCal Ripken/BabeRuth affiliationwill makesummer tournament play easier for familiesand coaches,and provideconsistent leaguematriculationfor all of our playerswithsummer birthdays Duetothechangeinaffiliation,wewill haveanew namein2025 - MV YouthBaseball &Softball,but our missionandimpact inthecommunity will remain thesame

GRATITUDE

SCHOLARSHIPS anOVERVIEW

MVYouthhasinvestedover $7 2 million incollege,workforcedevelopment and healthcare& educationscholarshipsfor over 100 students.

College Scholarships

Our original scholarship program,thecollegescholarship programoffersfour yearsof last-dollar fundingtostudents withfinancial need whoare pursuingbachelor'sdegrees Finalistsdemonstrate exceptional academic performance,character and service.Thisprogramreceives roughly 50 applicationseach year andhasthegreatest degree of competition.Only 6-8 recipientsareselected each year Inour first tenyears,71% of our awardshavebeencollege scholarships,totalingover $5.3 million

Workforce Development Scholarships

Our most personalized program, workforcedevelopment scholarshipssupport highschool seniorsand youngadultseager toget technical trainingto pursuecareersin:automotive technology,aviation,building trades,cosmetology,culinary arts,early childhood education, healthcare,horticulture& landscaping,marinetradesand windtechnology Roughly 3-6 recipientsareselected each year After sevenyearsof operatingthisprogram,17%of our awardshavebeenworkforce development scholarships, totalingover $1 million

Healthcare & Education Scholarships

Our newest scholarshipprogram supportsstudentsinterestedin pursuingcareersinhealthcare andeducation Similar to the collegescholarshipprogram, four-yearsof last-dollar funding areprovidedtostudentswith financial need seekingbachelor's degrees Roughly 3-6 recipients areselectedeachyear.After threeyearsof operatingthis program,12%of our awards havebeenhealthcareand educationscholarships,totaling over $890,000

Demographicsof Scholarship Recipients

70% CAUCASIAN

15% BRAZILIAN

10% AFRICAN AMERICAN

5% NATIVE, ASIAN

71% COLLEGE

17% WORKFORCE

12% HEALTHCARE& EDUCATION

Scholarship Award Calculation Formula

Awardsarerecalculatedeachyear usingupdatedfinancial information

Cost of Attendance(COA)- EstimatedFamilyContribution(EFC)- Institutional Financial Aid= FundingGap(MVYouthAward)

Annual Scholarship Spending

S C H O L A R S H I P

EMMA BURT

SMITH COLLEGE

I swear I just left theislandinAugust toheadto Smithandnow I?malready back for winter break. Smithhasquickly becomeasecondhome The Northamptoncommunity isvery similar tothat of theVineyardwhichmadethetransitiontocollege relatively smooth,thoughI still hadmy momentsof homesickness.Theamazingfriends,professors, andcommunity I havemet whileonly beingthere for onesemester havemademetruly excitedfor theyearstocome

A hugepart of my first semester waslearningnew studyhabitsfor college I foundmy go-tostudy nook inthelibrary right infront of awindow soI couldwatch thelawnasI crammed.Beforeevery chemistry exam,I wouldwalk toacoffeeshopwith afriendand study beforegoingtotaketheexam together Andany timeI sat downtostudy I neededtostart by doingall theNew York Times Games I foundthisreally helped meto focusand meant I couldprocrastinateworkingjust alittle longer

At school I alsomadehabitsof goingtothegym, goingonwalks,andpracticingpiano It wasniceto pick uphobbiesthat I didnot domuchinhigh school,whilealsokeepingupmy old hobby of singingviatheGleeClub Throughout the semester I wasthesubject of afriend?s assignmentsfor her digital mediaclass;posingfor aphotoshoot andactinginher final project short film,whichisnot somethingI couldhavepredicted myself agreeingtoafew short monthsago

Next semester my courseloadismorechallenging thanit wasthisfall but now that I havesettled in NorthamptonI feel ready for thedifficulty I am especially eager totakeorganicchemistry and an engineeringclassabout sustainableenergy sinceI haveambitionstowork inconservation post-graduation

NICK CARPENTER GREG CLARK

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

I hadagreat timeintheBay Areafor my first semester at Northeastern?sOaklandcampus! I enjoyedmy classes (Financial Accounting& Reporting,First-Year Writing, IntroductiontoMarketing,and Principlesof Microeconomics)and learnedalot inand out of the classroomI alsoenrolledinaone-credit coursecalled GlobalLearningExperience,whichwasuniqueto theBay Area

Whilethenumber of extracurricular activitieswas limitedontheOaklandcampus,I wasabletoattend speaker eventssuchastheTuesday Speaker Seriesfor theEntrepreneurshipClub(E-Club)and theDisrupt Speaker Series,whichwasfor theFinTechclub Lastly,I participatedinNU Oakland?sHusky StartupChallenge, inwhichI developedaproduct ideaandcreateda slideshow coveringeverythingfromtheproblemthe product solvesto itsbusinessmodel My product wasan appthat locatesthenearest water refill stationsona map,whichwoulddecreasetheamount of plasticwaste usedandsaveconsumersmoney.Uniqueto Northeastern?sOaklandCampuswereExperiential Treks(E-Treks),inwhichweeachvisitedanearby businessheadquartersinagroup,rangingfromGoogle toalocal bagel bakery I went totheIntuit headquarters inMountainView andlearnedhow different departmentsmust cometogether todevelopaproduct

My favoritepart of beinginOaklandwasgoingintoSan Francisco.I went onanexcursiontoAlcatraz,whichwas cool toseeandlearnabout theisland'shistory The restaurantswewent towereamazing,andthe distinctivenessof theneighborhoodsiswhat madeSan Franciscoavery funcity My favoritesingular tripoff campus,however,wastoLakeTahoe.Thescenery was amazing,andfortunately,it waswarmenoughfor meto gofor ashort swim Overall,I had agreat first semester inOakland I hadtheperfect balanceof learningin school,narrowingdownwhat I want todofor my career, andhavingfunexploringtheWest Coast.Now that I am inLondon,I amevenmoreexcitedtoseewhat thiscity hastooffer andtravel toother placesinEurope!

NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTEOF

TECHNOLOGY

I?mcurrently inthelast coupleweek of my degreebeforegraduation I?veenjoyedmy time at theNew EnglandInstituteof Technology,but I?mready tomoveontothenext chapter of my life;beginningmy career inthemarineindustry Lookingback onthelast year and ahalf I couldn? t behappy withmy choiceinaMarineTechnology degree,thebroadrangeof subjectsI learned about will beinvaluablefor my futurecareer. Fromengines,toplumbing,toelectronics,radar, andmoreI haveabroadrangeof potential fields of work for my future

I?mcurrently indiscussionswithseveral companiesabout whereI want my futuretolead me Thisweek I?ll betouringand talkingwiththe teamat amajor boat manufacturer hereinRhode Islandthat recently reachedout tome It?snot uncommontobehiredbeforegraduationinmy degree I?mexcitedtoseewherethefuturewill takeme,andI?mkeepingmy optionsopen! My passionliesintheelectronicsinvolvedonboard ships,aswell assmaller vessels.I still feel I have somuchtolearn,andchoosingtheright company tohelpmeprogressmy learningisbotha dauntingand excitingstep!

I feel sothankful totheMVYouthscholarshipfor their assistanceinhelpingmeachievemy dreams! It truly hasmadesuchaprofound differenceinmy life.They?vebeenwithmeevery stepof theway,makingsureI hadtheproper toolsto succeed AlthoughI feel my educational journey isnot yet over,they?vehelped mebuilda very solidfoundationfor further learninginmy career.

GERRY KANE

NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTEOF TECHNOLOGY

My first termwent by very fast and wasfull of excitement.It felt very nicetobeabletoget off the islandandbearoundadifferent scenery for a change It wasalittlehardtoget used to OnceI startedtomakefriendsandget to know my classmates,timestartedto flyby Beingsoclosed toProvidencehasmadeit very easy tomakenew friendsandlifenever get boring It wasvery cool experiencetolearnandhear storiesfrommy teacherswhohavebeenintheHVACfieldfor decades It madelearningsomucheasier because of how muchknowledgethey had toshare.I made theright choicegoingtoNew EnglandTech! At NEITlearningisvery handson,whichiswhereI strive BeingfromMartha'sVineyard,it wasvery nicebeingabletoseethisfromadifferent perspective.I havetriedout someof thedifferent clubsthat New EnglandTechoffersincludingthe golf club,theintramural basketball leagueandpool club I wasworriedabout goingtocollegebecause school wasnever my strongsuitebut withthe amazingteachershereand all that NEIThasto offer hasreally mademeenjoy beinghere,want to pay attentioninclassandget goodgrades It was very easy toget used tocollege,I really enjoy my schedule It givesmetimeto get all my homework doneandstill havetimetoenjoy lifewithfriends.I can? t wait for thenext semester tostart I canonly imaginetheexperiencesthat I will have!

JOSH LAKE

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE

Myfirst semester at ProvidenceCollegehasbeenfull of amazingand unpredictableexperienceswhichhave allowedmeto learn,grow,andadapt AsaMarketing major,I havebeenintroduced tonew conceptsand strategiesthat I havethoroughlyenjoyed learningabout Adjustingtothisnew way of lifehasbeenuncomfortable andrewarding I havelovedbeingexposed tonew people, personalities,egos,and emotionswhichhaveprovidedme withprofoundperceptionsregardingresilienceand adaptability

Oneof themost beneficial experiencesI havegone throughso far wasprovidedtomeby joiningthe EntrepreneurshipSociety I?vehadtheprivilegeof listeningto different Providencealumni entrepreneurs speak about their pathsandparticipatedintheAnnual Elevator Pitchcompetitionheldby theBusinessSchool In thiscompetition,I pitchedmy businessproposal for a basketball camp,IslandHoopGroup,that I?mplanningto start next summer withoneof my best friends,SamZack Thisexperienceprovided mewiththeperfect opportunity toindulgeinsomethinguncomfortableand atypical.I receivedagreat amount of constructiveadviceand knowledgeregardingpublicspeakingandopeninga businessthroughmy personal coachandthejudges

I haveparticipatedinalot of intramuralssuchasFlag Football,SpikeBall,3v3 Basketball,and 5v5 Basketball I'malsoapart of theClubBasketball Teamwhichhaskept thehigh school sport element alive;wepracticetwotimes aweek andplay other schoolsduringoccasional weekends TheProvidencelocationhasservedmewell, I?vebeenabletotakeadvantageof beinginclose proximityto my Dadwholivesoff island,allowingmeto spendquality timewithmy eight year oldbrother.This semester hasbeenfull of transformativeand unique experiencesthat I wouldn? t havehadwithout this scholarship Not aday goesby whereI don? t feel such gratitudeand lovefor thisorganizationandour community Thank youfor your continued trust and support!

OLIVIA MACPHERSON

BRIDGEWATER STATE UNIVERSITY

I knew fromthemoment I steppedoncampusthat thiswastheplaceI neededtobeto continueonin my career path Now that thefirst semester is over,I cansay it didnot disappoint I havegotten tojointhepoetry club,participateineventsfor my major,andmeet abunchof new people.I just wrappedupthefirst semester andamexcitedto start onthenext

Thissemester I focusedonmy corecreditsfor general studies,makingsureI wasontrack with what wasnecessary toget tothenext year I especially enjoyedmy classinsociology,andplan ontakingmoreclassesof thissubject inthefuture. I evensignedupfor another next semester

Now that alot of my creditsarefiguredout,and I haveeither takenor signedupfor all my first year corerequirements,I will betakingachildstudy course I amsuper excitedtoofficially start classes for my major,and haveeven foundanextra programthat shouldhelpout withthis I appliedfor andmadeit intoaprogramfor next semester (andquitepossibly beyondthat),that whilenot necessarilypart of theearly education program,will beanincrediblesupplement toit In thisprogramcalledtheCPDC(Child Physical Development Clinic),collegestudentswork with childrenwithspecial needs,helpingthemwithfine andgrossmotor skills.Theprogrammeetsat the gym,andI will beassignedachildtowork withfor thesemester I heardof thisprogramwhen originally touringtheschool,and it wasoneof the factorsThat mademechooseBridgewater The university isso welcoming,andIt feelslikethere's anopportunityaroundevery corner.

GEORGIA MAGDEN

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

I amcurrently onagapyear beforeI attend the Universityof Mississippi andsofar it hasbeen marvelous Duringthemonthof September I continuedmy jobat VineyardPilates& Bodywork and?helped?AnnieOllen(2015 MVYouth recipient)coachgirlsJV soccer (I think I didvery littleintheway of actuallycoaching).After that,I went downtonorthernMississippi andhave beengallivantingaroundwithmy grandmother ever since

Mygrandmother grew upand spent themajority of her lifeintheUniversityof Mississippi?s collegetownandshehashappily shownmeall that thisstatehasto offer I?vemet influential Mississippi politicians,joinedaPolitical Action Committee,goneto theroyal ballet,met the former chancellor of theUniversity,read alot, attendedOleMissathleticsand music performances,helpedmy grandmother clean out her garage(nosmall feat let metell you)andbuilt acommunity I amexcitedtouseduringmy time incollege

Personally,takingagapyear hasbeenoneof the best decisionsI haveever made It hasonly reaffirmedmy desireto attendthisschool and it hasgivenmetheopportunity tobuild relationshipswithpeopleseparatefromthe school community.It hasalsoallowedmeto recuperatefromanincredibly drainingsenior year and ensurethat I will beabletogivemy best onceI actually get tocollege

I amincredibly grateful that MVYouthhas allowedmetotakethistimeoff andthepeaceof mindscholarshipaffordscannot beoverstated

REBECCA MANDELLI

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE

Theschool year startedand I wasfull swinginto theProvidenceCollegegroove.I barely got to say byetomyparentsandwasalready bombardedwiththetypical ?whereareyou from??and?what?syour major??questions AlthoughI felt likeI never hadtimetoprocess anythingduetothegogogoof thefirst couple weeks,I still foundmyself upset and missing home I lovemy roommatesand they triedreally hardtoget meout of theroomandtothe variousactivitiesgoingonaroundcampus At thispoint school waspickingupand I felt likeI hadfinally gottenthehangof wherethingswere oncampusandI wasstartingtomakedifferent friendships Thethirdweek of school I declared my doublemajor andmy minor,thework load definitely addedupandI didfeel likeI was drowningfor agood portionof thesemester.But I kept tellingmyself that thisiswhy I washere andthat I neededtodothissoI couldbe successful inmy futurecareer Asidefromschool I triedout andbecameapart of thewomen?s clubhockey teamandthroughthat I havemade somany friends I alsoamapart of Best Buddies andtry tohelpout at theSpecial Olympics whenever I don? t havehockey After Columbus Day I went back toschool and triedto makethe most of it until I would beback for Thanksgiving. I hadfriendsvisit meandI triedtoget out there more Thispast monthI havefalleninlovewith ProvidenceCollegeand I don? t think I couldever seemyself anywhereelse Theschool work is definitely challengingbut my professorsareso kindandhelpful I havealsofoundagood groups of friendsthat I loveto bearound PCisslowly becominghomeand I can? t wait to goback next semester! I loveFriartown!

KIMBERLY MARQUES

RHODEISLAND COLLEGE

Everyonecanagreethat your first stepin anythingisnever easy.Leavingwhat hasbeen homefor all my lifeisnot easy But RhodeIsland Collegemadetheprocesseasier RICisthe perfect distance,I?mfar enoughtohavemy space,but closeenoughto gohomewhenever Steppingoncampuswithtearsinmy eyeswent fromsuchascaryfeelingtoafeelingof comfort RICgavemetherural comfort fromback home but alsogavemeacity for whenit'stimefor a break

Duringmy first semester away,I wasableto experiencesuchamazingyet scaryexperiences whilebeingchallengedbothacademically and emotionally Thoughthissemester camewith many challenges,I couldn? t bemorehappy and thankful for goingthroughthosechallenges MVYouth gavemeanopportunity tochasemy biggest dreamsinceI wasakid MVYouth was somethingI didn? t think waspossiblefor me I appliedwithsomany nervessurethat maybeI wouldn? t moveforward,scaredof what would comenext But I couldn? t thank MVYouth enoughfor theamazingopportunity and support Thoughnursingschool isfar fromeasy, realizingthat I?monestepcloser ismy motivation.

JAHZARAH MCINTOSH NORAH PRESTLEY

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Beingabletostudyat theUniversity of Michigan istruly adream If it weren? t for thecontinuous support of myfamily andfriendsback homeand inother partsof theUnitedStates,I wouldn? t havebeenabletodothis.I feel immense gratitudefor thosewhohavehelped me,which pushesmeevery day to havethebest university experienceI can I amcurrently part of multiple faith-basedclubsat theUniversityof Michigan andservingontheexecutiveboardfor a consultingclub I alsohavediscoveredanew passionfor computer science,and I planon makingthat my minor Our programmingteam evenwonanawardfor thegamethat we designed! I amlookingforwardtorecruitingfor competitiveinvestment clubsnext winter. Classesarenot sohardif youstudy right! Ann Arbor isbeautiful inthefall,andI lovewalking aroundor spendingtimewithmy friends spontaneously ThewintersinMichigan arenot asbadaspeoplesay,infact,apart of me embracesthecoldandcloudy mornings It?scrazy tothink about how much hashappenedand time hasflownsoquickly Toanyonelisteningor readingthis,I urgeyouto never giveuponyour goalsandnever beafraid toask for help.Asa first-generationcollegestudent,it waseasy to get swept upinmyself andfeel likeI had totake onthisburdenalone But that wasand isnever thecase My timeat theUniversity of Michigan hasbeenbothchallengingand exciting,andI embracethat feelingwithevery new morning.My gratitudeextendsindefinitely

UNIVERSITY OF SAINT

JOSEPH'S

Myfirst semester at theUniversityof Saint Josephwas definitelysomethingtoremember.Theexpectations that I hadset for thefall semester werenot shownin thereality I amcurrently majoringinnursing,soI had beenwarnedby many peoplethat I would struggle They werenot wrong AsI headedintocollege,I hada feelingthat most of my timewouldbespent inthe library oncampusdoingmy homework,studying,and buildingsomestudygroups That expectationwas 100%thereality,but it doesn? t stopthere I had expectedthat everyonewasgoingtobelookingfor friendsandeveryonewouldhavegrownout of stupid highschool drama,but that?sjust not thecase.Maybe, itsdifferent at other schoolsconsideringmy school is sotiny,but makingfriendswasmy biggest challenge, andthedramawasstill present I hadbeguntorealize that everyonehastheir ownclickswithpeople,and they aren? t particularly lookingfor morefriends.This left mefeelingquitelonely all thetime Most of my days werespent inmy dormroom(alone),or inthelibrary (alone)

Now,thisupdateisn? t supposedto besador lame,solet metalk about thegoodpartsof collegethat I experienced My school givestheir studentsa wonderful privilegecalled?Woof Wednesday?and it?s all about havingabunchof dogsoncampuson Wednesday?sandyoujust get toplay withthemand pet them That wasprobably my favoritethingabout my campus Another wonderful thingabout my school is theprofessorsthat I worked with All my professors weresounderstandingand cooperativewithmeand they really took thetimetoget toknow meandhelpme whenI neededit Thisdefinitely supportedthroughout my toughscienceclasses Theacademicsaretime consumingand hardtounderstand,but not impossible; andI couldn? t havedoneit without my awesome professors.All inall,someof my expectationsweremet andsomewerenot But,at theendof theday,I madeit through;and I can? t wait to seewhat thespring semester bringsme

NIKEYA TANKARD

CONNECTICUT

COLLEGE

ThoughI went intocollegethinkingI would study EnglishandGovernment,agreat classtaught me morethanGovernment or Politics? It taught me that my desiresfor advocacyand engagement might besuitedbetter withinother framesand areas I finishedoff thesemester witha3 75 GPA andexcelledinclassesAmericanStudies,amore interdisciplinary examinationof our American society throughwriting,art,musicandmedia,and Fundamentalsintwodimensions,afoundational yet challenging2D art class So,for now,I?m thinkingof majoringinEnglishand Art inhopesof goingintotheCreativeDirectingor Designfields.

I alsofoundgreat joy indancing,anactivity I never thought I?dindulgeinagainsincecovid,despitemy 10 yearsof experienceprior at our very ownRise VPA At ConnI aminDanceCluband I regularly participateinother student performances I have twocomingupthissemester,so pleasewishme luck! Other thandanceI enjoy tasty morning matchalattesat our many amazingstudent-run coffeeshopsoncampus,afternoonsonthegreen inbetweenclassesonthosefew sunny dayswe hadthisseason,and studysessionswithmusic,tea, andalot of chatter inmy roomasthesunsetsfor theday.

Despitemy previousmindset basedin predictability,planning,and order,I havelearned over thesepast monthsto revel intheunknown Rather thantryingtoplanout therest of my life,I amenjoyingtakingit onestepat atimeasthings morenaturally progress SomeopportunitiesI look forwardtofor thenear futureareConn?s study-away opportunitiesand expandingmy job experiencethisSummer All inall,I amsoexcitedto indulgedeeper intotherangeof areasConnhasto offer,andsharemy new skillsandpassionswhenI get back homeall thankstothegreat support and generosity of theMartha'sVineyardcommunity andtheMVYouthscholarshipprogram!

2023

S C H O L A R S H I P

MADELEINE BENGTSSON

SMITH COLLEGE

I hadagreat thirdsemester at SmithCollege! I took afascinatingSpanishclass??Asian-LatineCultural Encounters??focusingontherelationsbetween partsof Asiaand theAmericas I alsotook an educationclassontheLearningSciences,aLatin AmericanStudiescourseand anactingelective.

I?vecontinued withtheGleeClub?now servingon theboard?andthisyear I?moneof theSocial Event Coordinatorsfor my house(dormitory building). Withthisposition,I?vehosted eventssuchasa pumpkincarvingactivity and monthly movienights, whichhavebeensofun! I?vegrownsoclosetomy residencecommunity,throughFriday Teaand my positiononHouseCouncil,andI still immersemyself inSmithtraditions OnMountainDay thisyear,my friendsandI went apple-pickingat anearby orchard! I alsojoinedSmithCheerleadingasafun, new extracurricular to get toknow morepeopleand stay active.Wecheer at basketball games,and performat acompetitioninthespring.

I look forward tomy next set of classes:?Portuguese for SpanishSpeakers?,aneducationclasscentered aroundrace,and thegateway toTranslationStudies, amongothers I?maSpanishMajor (prospective EducationMinor),andthetranslationscoursewould gotowardsaTranslationsConcentration,if I so choosetopursuethat.I alsoloved beinginthe musical last year,soI hopetopartakeinsomeform of theatreagainnext semester At SmithI haveso many options,andtheschool helpssolidify my academicandlifegoals

It?sduetothecontinuedsupport of MVYouthand thegenerosity of my Vineyardcommunity that I?m abletotakesuchinterestingclasses,and participate inawidearray of opportunitiesat thecollegethat I choseandlove I?msograteful

MAGGIE BERNARD

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Thispast semester hasbeenmy first fall semester hereat Northeastern.BeinginBoston for thefall hasdefinitely beenoneof my favorite experiences I got tocarveand paint pumpkins withmy roommatesand now inthewinter monthsgotomany holiday marketsonthe weekend.Thispast summer I changedmy path of study whichissomethingNortheasternlends itself very well to Thissemester wasmy first semester takingcommunicationsclassandI can say that I verythoroughly enjoyedit but didmiss someaspectsof my psychology classsoam consideringaddingit asaminor I really appreciatehow easy it isto changeyour path hereif youfeel that istheright choicefor you It allowsyoutonot feel stuck and set inone channel Thispast semester hasbeenboth academicallydemandingand rewarding,I deeply enjoyedall of my classesrangingfrom foundationsof psychology tovisual communication,whilethey havebeenquite tiresomeanddemandingat timesthey havealso beenquiterewardinginhelpingmeput myself ontheright path

I switchedmymajor frompsychology and criminal justicetosportsmediaand communication,whichI know isadrasticchange however duetotheopportunity Northeastern haswiththeco-opprogramI believedthat this changewasbeneficial tomeinorder tolet me achieveaco-opthat I ideally want todonext summers/fall Overall thissemester hasbeen filledwithlotsof goodchangesanddiscovery of myself whichI believeisoneof themost important partsof collegenot only toachieve your degreebut todiscover youasyour own uniqueindividual It isok if I changedwhat I was doingdoesn? t meanI did somethingwrongjust foundsomethingI wasmorepassionateabout

EVELYN BREWER

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Myfirst semester asasophomoreat theUniversity of SouthernCaliforniahasbeenachallengingsemester but I saw alot of academicgrowth Thiswasmy first semester withadeclaredmusicminor so I hadtofind balancebetweenmy Occupational therapy major with my minor Incorporatingmusicintomy academic journey hasgivenmeacreativeoutlet that complementsmy OTstudies I took classessuchas physiology,musictheory,piano,and MIDI sequencing, eachof whichoffered auniqueset of skills.From learningabout musictheory toexploringthe therapeuticpotential of music,I?vediscoveredexciting intersectionsbetweenthesefieldsthat canbe applicabletomy futurecareer Thissemester hasalso taught methevalueof timemanagement and self-care Balancingrigorouscoursework,extracurricular activities,andsocial lifehasbeendemanding,but it?s pushedmetogrow andadapt I?velearnedto prioritize andtry tofind abalanceinall aspectsof my life

Inadditiontoacademics,my friendshipshavebeenjust asimportant and havemadethissuchanenjoyable semester whether we?restudyinginthelibrary for hoursor exploringCaliforniaontheweekends.I've beenlivingwithfiveof my best friendsthissemester andit hasbeensuchafunexperience Fromsharing andcookingmealstogether,latenight conversations andbeingabletoshareaccomplishmentswitheach other it all hasaddedsomuchjoy intomy life I?vealso beenabletocontinuemy involvement inthe university?sclubs,suchasShareaMeal and the AmericanLungAssociationClub Thisgrouphas becomeanimportant additiontomy life,expanding new friendshipsandalsoendedupbeinganother rewardingaspect of beinginvolvedinthisclub.

I'vehadsuchagreat experiencesofar I really want to cherishit.I want to thank MVYouthandthedonors whohavemadeattendingUSCpossible.It meansso muchtomeandI amgrateful for all theopportunities andjoy it hasbrought me

DYANA BURKE

SPA

TECH INSTITUTE

ELOISE CHRISTY MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

I graduatedfromSpaTechInstitutethispast April.It wasanamazingopportunity,and I am sograteful tohavereceivedhelpfrom MVYouth,toattend After graduation,I went ontowork ontheisland I spent my summer, andfall (upuntil January),workingasan esthetician.I loveandenjoy every secondI get tospenddoingsomethingI loveandwant to grow asacareer

Recently,I havestarted college.I amcurrently attendingCurry College.After spendingsome timegainingexperienceasanesthetician,and slowly buildingupmy clientele,I decidedto continuemy education I decidedthisbecause I felt likeit wastheright time,and for my futurecareer.I ammajoringinPublic Relations My goal after school istowork in Beauty PR I amhopingtomakeconnections withskincare,andmakeupbrands I want to continuetowork asanesthetician,alongside this.I will becontinuingmy estheticscareer duringthesummersonMV Hopefully oneday (later on),I will ownaspa

Thetransitionback intoschool hasbeenless stressful thanI anticipated I havemet great people,fantasticprofessors,andreadjusted to off-islandlivingonceagain I havebeentaking moreGEN ED coursesthissemester (asit is my first).I only started collegeaweek ago,so thereisnot muchelseI cansay about my classesyet SoFar,sogood!

I amsuper grateful (evenalmost ayear after graduatingfromEstheticsschool),for thehelp andopportunityMVYouth andall thedonors providedme I amsoexcitedto seewhat the futureholdsfor me,and my career Also,to seewhereI gointhesenext few yearsin college!

Mysophomorefall thisyear hasbeenvery enjoyable at Middlebury College I liveinabeautiful building calledPearsonsthat overlookstheAdirondack Mountainswithoneof my best friends,whichhas madethissemester much moreeasygoing.I spent a lot of timethissemester workingontheinternship processandfiguringout what I want my major tobe, whichhascontributed greatlyto learningwhoI am andwhat interestsmemost I haveanewfound passionfor environmental studiesandampursuing that inmy futureclassthisspringof social environmental justice I alsohavespent alot of my timeand effort onmy sport,track andfield,running aroundour campusand throughthetrailsaround Middleburyand welcominginandgettingtoknow our new freshmen

Thissemester,I wasenrolledinanAmericanpolitics class,anethnography of organizationsclass,an environmental and conservationstudiesclass,and an art class Thisgroupof classeswasdefinitely challenging,but they helped methink indifferent waysand developskillsinareaslikeart,writing, analysis,and understandinghow our country works.

I declaredmy major inPolitical Scienceand I?m excitedtoexplorewhat opportunitiesthat will bring meinthefuture.

Inthismajor,theclassesaredifficult,but that?sone of thereasonsI felt thismajor would bebeneficial to me.Whenthingsarechallenging,it makesmework harder at themtobetter my understandingand createmy ownthoughtsonthosetopics

I want tothank and appreciatetheMVYouth community for beingsohelpful andencouragingmy learning I amlookingforwardto my upcoming semester andcontinuingtowork towardmy major in Political Science I haveloved my timeat Middlebury College,whereI get tomakelotsof lifelongfriends andbeabletoattendcollegeinsuchanoutstanding place

WREN CHRISTY

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

Thisfall semester hasbeenasemester of great learning,experience,and enjoyment.Throughout this semester,I havemovedforward inmy interest in Psychology andhavedeclaredit asmy major I amalso consideringaminor ingender studiesasI havetakena number of coursesinthat areaandfindthemrelevant tomy other studies.I havebeenabletotakesome fascinatingpsychologycoursesthissemester suchas social psychology and psychology disorders, furtheringmy interest inhumannatureandcognition Outsideof my academicschedule,I havebeenableto servetheMiddlebury community by volunteeringat theMiddleburyOpen Door Clinic.Workingat the OpenDoor Clinicallowsmetoseethelarger community surroundingthecollegeand hashelped mebroadenmy perspectiveonhealthcare Another hugepart of thispast semester for mehasbeen spendingasecondyear ontheMiddleburywomen's crosscountryteam WhenI thought I couldn? t loveit anymore,I foundthat theteamthisyear haseven morepersonality,funand drivetolove Beingableto helpthefreshmanflow intotheir first year hasbeen somuchfun.Withthebit of extrafreetimeI had this semester,I havelookedforward tosummer internshipsandcareer paths I haverecently accepted aninternshipfor thiscomingsummer ontheVineyard My goal for thissummer wastocomeback to the VineyardtocontinuehelpingtheIslandcommunity as well asexpandmy horizonsbothby workingwithnew peopleandhavingnew experiencesthat pushmeto broadenmy thinking I feel that theskillsI have learnedthroughmy collegeclasseshaveencouraged metobecomeinterestedinhelpingtheIsland community andgiveback theknowledgethat I have gainedwithjust abit of collegeexperience

I amvery grateful for theopportunitiesthat MVYouth hasgivenmeandI thank all whoareinvolvedfor your kindnessandgenerosity Thesepast semestershave beenfull of amazingexperiencesand I can? t wait to exploremore!

JACK

CRAWFORD

BOWDOIN COLLEGE

Thispast semester at BowdoinCollegehasbeen anincredibly enrichingand dynamicexperience. I continuedsingingwiththeacappellagroup, theBowdoinLongfellows,and remainedan activemember of therowingteam,whichhas beenasignificant part of my lifesincefreshman year.I continuetoplay pianoand contributeto theBowdoinmusiccollective,agroupthat has inspiredandsupported my musical growth One of themost excitingdevelopmentshasbeen startingaband calledKaleidoscope,whereI am theleadsinger andguitarist We?veperformed fivetimesover thecourseof thesemester includingaperformancefor Bowdoin?s President SafaZaki I?vealsobegunwritingmy ownsongs,and we?reeager toperformasaband duringthespringsemester Academically,I?ve beenfocused onItalianandmusiccourses, preparingto declaremy major thiswinter,in musicwithaconcentrationintheoryand composition,alongwithaminor inItalian I am incredibly grateful for thecontinued support of MVYouth,asnoneof theseopportunitieswould havebeenpossiblewithout it.

DANIEL DA SILVA

NEW ENGLAND HAIRACADEMY

Graduatingfrombarber school inthespringwasa definingmoment inmy journey towardbecominga professional barber.Duringschool I started workingat abarbershopontheweekends It wasa stressful timeaspracticalsand final examsstarted towindupat school and I hadto makesureI was showingmy best work ontheweekends This opportunity hasallowedmetogrow fromtheskills I hadalready gainedsinceI wasaround professionalsall day long Alongwithstartingmy career,I havealsobeenabletomoveintothecity of Bostononmy own-amovethat feelslikebotha personal andprofessional milestone

Theroadtothispoint,however,wasn? t always smooth Barber school waschallenging,both mentally andphysically.Balancingthetechnical aspectsof cuttinghair,learningtheart of grooming,anddevelopingmy customer service skillsweren? t easy Thereweredayswhenthe pressureof homingdifferent techniquesfelt overwhelming,andI sometimesquestionedmy progress But eachchallengebecamealesson in persistenceandimprovement I quickly learned that successinthisprofessionrequiredlotsof consistency asevery client bringssomenew challenge

Besidesthebarber school journey,personal hurdlesoutsideof work arose Movingintothecity wasexcitingbut alsointimidating.Thepaceof life inthecity isalot faster thanI?mused to,and I had toadjust tothechaosthat isnavigatingthrough thecity andbeabletoget towork at an appropriatetime Thisforcedmetoget a consistent scheduletostay ontopof all that. Besidesthat,beingabletoliveand work inthe Bostonareahasgivenmeaccesstoavibrant community andendlessopportunitiestogrow in my craft

CALI

GIGLIO

COLLEGEOF CHARLESTON

Thisfall semester hasbeenanincrediblefew monthsof growthandnew opportunities Asan ExerciseSciencestudent at theCollegeof Charleston,I?vetruly enjoyeddivingintomy healthscienceclasses Thesecourseshavenot only challengedmeacademically but havealso deepenedmy passionfor understanding exercisenutritionand how topromotea healthy lifestyle I?veparticularly enjoyed designingbalancedwellnessplans Inaddition tomy academicpursuits,I amhonoredtohave beenelectedVicePresident of Recruitment for my sorority,ZetaTauAlpha Leadingthisspring semester andnext fall semester recruitment effortswill berewardingand educational, teachingmeinvaluablelessonsinleadership, communication,andteamwork I?malsothrilled tobepart of theclub tennisteamthisyear Joiningtheteamhasbeenagreat way tostay activeandbondwithteammateswho sharemy lovefor thesport It?sbeenafun andrewarding balancetomy academicandleadership commitments

ANA KURELJA

WHEATON COLLEGE

I knew that thisfall semester wasthepoint where my educationturnsacorner and becomesreal Walkingaroundthenursingwingof Wheaton Collegeandseeingall theequipment and simulationlabshad mesoexcitedandalso terrified Nursingschool isnot aneasy journey You experienceself-doubt,heartachewhenit comesto exams/grades,andmoreimportantly theconstant questionof ?canI really dothis??My fall semester wasfull of bumpsalongtheroad,but how couldit not bewhenyouarelearninghow tokeepahuman beingalive

Duringmy semester I spent most of my daysinthe Nursingwinglearningskillsfromsomethingas small ashandwashingand settingupsterilefields toinjectionsandheadtotoeassessments.I took 6 classesduringmy semester,all of which contributedto my major of Nursing WheatonCollegehasprovidedmewithan amazingcommunityand teamof professorsthat hasgottenmethroughthisexperiencesofar I cannot expressthecountlesstimesI have experiencedgoingfromtearsof self-doubt inone of my professor'sofficestojumpingwithjoy onceI havefinally achievedacertainskill thecorrect way It truly isanemotional rollercoaster,but at Wheatoncollegetherehasnever beenatime whereI havefelt I aminit alone

Withall that hascomeof my fall semester,I amso happy tosay that inthespringI will beableto bringthe30+skillsthat I havelearned intoareal clinical setting I will begoingtoMilfordRegional Medical Center,tostart my journey of helping others I amsobeyond grateful for thesupport and opportunitiesthat WheatonCollegehasgivenme, andmost of all soproudof myself for stickingwith themajor I havealwaysdreamedof sothat I am abletoseemy educationturnthecorner and becomereal

PENELOPE LONG SIMMONSUNIVERSITY

I?vejust completed another semester at SimmonsUniversity I?masophomorethisyear intheexercisescienceandphysical therapy 3+3 program Thissemester I?vestarted to encounter moremajor specificcoursessuchas exercisescienceandresistancetrainingform andfunction Thosetwoclassesweremy favoriteof thissemester.Welearnedabout different waysof trainingand workedoncase studiesthroughout thecourse,programming for clients I competedinanother seasonof fieldhockey for SimmonsUniversitythisfall I amacaptainandplay forward I?veenjoyed beingontheforwardlinevery muchand sometimesI?mstill gettingused tothe transitionfromdefensetoforward Weare runnersupintheGNACDivision3 Field Hockey Conferencefor the2024 season,it was soexcitingtogotothechampionshipsand competewithsuchhighenergy and passion I?vefoundafamily withinmy teammates,we lift eachother upand it hasbeenaprivilegeto play sportsincollege It teachesmealot about community,timemanagement andbalance. Thispast springI started workingasamiddle school lacrossecoachfor Winsor Prepschool I learnsomuchfromcoachingtheyoung athletesandI amnow goaliecoachingWinsor Varsity IceHockey thiswinter Inthesummer I startedsomeshadowinghoursat Vineyard Complementary Medicineand I will be continuingshadowingover winter break andI amworkingtowardsmy certificationasa RehabilitationAssistant I?mvery excitedfor thenext semester,thespringfieldhockey seasonand sograteful for whereI am

ISABELLA RIBEIRO

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT

AsI reflect onmy secondfall semester at the University of Vermont,I amoverjoyedby thesteady evolutionof my academicandpersonal journey Each semester buildsonthelast,andthisfall hasbeenno exception? bringingonnew challengesand opportunitiesthat continuetoshapemy path

Thissemester,I washonoredto beappointedVice President of Recruitment for theVermont Beta Chapter,aroleI will begininthespring.This leadershipopportunityisoneI approach with excitement anddetermination,asit will allow meto honeinonmyskillsincommunication,organization, andrelationship-building I alsojoinedHer Campus,a platformwhereI haverediscoveredmy passionfor creativewriting.Writingagainhasbeenameaningful outlet,remindingmeof thepower toconnect with othersinacompletely different way

Academically,I decidedtopivot toanew major: PublicCommunications,withaconcentrationin Community MediaandJournalism Thischangehas reflectedmy growinginterest inunderstandinghow communicationshapescommunitiesand drives meaningful conversations Inthespring,I will also begincoursework for my new minor inBusiness Administration,preparingmewithpractical skillsto complement my communicationsstudies

Beyondacademics,thecommunity at UVM and Burlingtonhasbeenaconstant sourceof inspiration Fromthevibrant local culturetothesupport of my peersandprofessors,I continuetofeel encouraged toengageinwaysI hadn? t imaginedbefore Overall,noneof theseachievementswould have beenpossiblewithout thesupport of MVYouth Your generosity hasgivenmethefoundationtotakeon theseopportunitiesand confidently pursuemy goals Thank youfor believinginmy potential and allowing metomakethemost of thisexcitingchapter of my life

JAHEEM RICHARDS

SKYBORNEAIRLINEACADEMY

My last year at Skyborne hasbeen great.I?ve madealot of new friendswhomI wouldconsider my secondfamily here.SinceI?vebeenhere,I?ve earnedmy PPL(PrivatePilot?sLicense)and also my instrument rating I?mcurrently workingon my CPL(Commercial Pilot?sLicense),whichI shouldreceivebeforethemonthof January is over.I?mreally lookingforwardtothat themost because,at that point,I?ll beableto get paidasa professional pilot andalsofeel likeone

But likeanything,it?snot easy.There?salot to learn,especially theinsand outsof meteorology, aeronautical decision-making,professionalism, stick-and-rudder skills,andthetechnical aspects of your aircraft Whenit comesto theflyingpart of flight training,it canbedifficult toactually get intheair duetofactorslikeweather,plane availability,and maintenanceissues However, despiteall of this,whenyoupassacheckride? whichisthefinal test for thestageyou?reon? it?sahugeachievement.Dependingonhow it goes,you?ll earn that ratingor licenseyou?ve beenworkingtoward,andthere?salwaysbothan oral and flight portion

I liketothink that thepreparationand progress youmakearemoreimportant thantheend result Whenthecheckridefinally comes,being abletoanswer most questionswithout hesitationand gettingfeedback like,?Youdidn? t missanything?fromtheexaminer showsthat you camepreparedandput intheeffort

Also,after eachcheckridepass,my secondfamily andI goout tocelebrate,whether it?shanging out or goingout toeat It?sagreat feeling I?m gladI?mpursuingthiscareer,andI?mexcitedfor what?stocome.

But asof right now I amonHoliday break soI am goingtoenjoy it withmy family Ciao!

HANNA SANTOS

CAPECOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Thisfall semester hasbeenaseasonof growthand discovery,bothacademically and personally I engaged withchallengingsubjects,gainingvaluableknowledge whilesharpeningmy skillsincritical thinking,writing,and problem-solving Balancingacademicswithextracurricular activities,work,andpersonal lifetaught methe importanceof timemanagement and prioritization, pushingmetobecomemoreorganizedand intentional withmy time

A significant highlight of thissemester wasexcellingin variousprojectsand assignmentsandearninggoodgrades inmy courses Theseachievementsboostedmy confidence andreinforcedthevalueof perseveranceand consistent effort However,thejourney wasn? t without itschallenges Managingaheavyworkloadand multipleassignments requiredresilienceandadaptability,but thesedifficulties ultimately becameopportunitiesfor growth They taught metheimportanceof settingrealisticgoalsand staying focused,evenduringhigh-pressuresituations

Onapersonal level,I concentratedonimprovingtime management and communicationskills By settingclear goalsandseekingsupport whenneeded,I wasableto navigatecomplexsituationsmoreeffectively.Theseefforts allowedmetomaintainasenseof balancewhilestaying motivatedtoachievemy objectives

Reflectingonthissemester,I realizehow muchI have grownthroughthelessonsI?velearnedandthesuccesses I?veachieved I amdeeply grateful for theguidanceand encouragement of my professors,friends,andmentors, whosesupport hasbeeninvaluablethroughout this journey.

AsI look ahead,I amexcitedtoapply theinsightsgained thissemester tofutureendeavors.Withastronger sense of purposeandacommitment tocontinuous self-improvement,I feel better equippedtotacklenew challengesandmakemeaningful progresstowardmy goals Thissemester hastruly beenatransformativeexperience, shapingbothmy academicand personal growth.

JULIA

SAYRE

BROWN UNIVERSITY

After my thirdsemester at Brown,I havereally comeintomy own.I decided onmy major at the endof my secondsemester,landingonadegree inenvironmental scienceandstudies Thisfall,I took Diversity of Life,Humans,Nature,and the Environment:AddressingEnvironmental Change inthe21st Century,EatingandthePoliticsof Wellness,andLocal FoodSystemsand Urban Agriculture I havefoundapassionfor engaged scholarshipclasseswhereI canwork withthe broader Providencecommunity Twoof these classesallowedmetocreatemy ownprojects withcommunity partnerstoapply what I have learnedinclass I collaboratedwithalocal community gardentocreateworkshopson teachingcommunity membersabout herbalism andworked withNew ShorehamWasteWater Management toreducetheamount of grease endingupinwastewater systems I amstill an activemember of theBrownClimbingCluband havefoundrock climbingto beasourceof wonderful community and away todestresswith my strenuousworkload.ThefriendsI havemet at school havebecomelikefamily tome,andwe spent many weekendsof thesemester exploring New EnglandwithtripstoNew Hampshireto hiketheWhiteMountains,swimmingat Walden PondandvisitingtheVineyard! I continuetobe very fondof Brown?sopencurriculum,asI do havemany requirementstofulfill for my major, however,I canstill takeclassinany discipline whereI haveroom I havetakencoursesinurban studies,religiousstudiesand science,technology, andsociety (STS).Additionally,I amcurrently in theprocessof applyingtostudy abroadin Copenhagentostudy theproductionand consumptionof sustainablefood I amsothankful andfilledwithgratitudefor MVYouth?scontinued support andI?mlookingforward tomy fourth semester thisspring!

JOSIE WELCH

BOSTON COLLEGE

Thisfall hasbeenfull of excitement and more andmorenew Thissemester inparticular, really startedtofeel likeI wasinnursing school Thecourseswerehard,andmy time neededmanaging.Inmy Pathophysiology class, I learnedtheintricaciesof morediseasesthanI ever knew existed Inmy HealthAssessment Lab,I wasableto apply my knowledgein life-likesituations Whether takingablood pressureonmy classmatesor amanakin,the practiceexcitedme I worked throughthese rigorouscoursesinorder tobeginmy clinicals Thiscomingsemester I will beginmy first clinical,workinginadult health

ThecommunitiesI haveformedat Boston Collegeareall duetosharedgoals I have fosteredagreat bond withmy nursing community,aswell asfriendsI havemade alongtheway Thissemester,I alsobecamea wellnesscoachinBCsCenter for Student Wellness,whereI meet oneononewith studentstohelpimprovetheir mental health andwellness.I lovetheenvironmentsmy many communitiesbring

It hasbeenamazinglivinginChestnut Hill,right outsideof Boston.I haveenjoyedexploring DowntownBoston,whereI gooftenon weekendswithfriendsandonweekdays,while I babysit alittlegirl Exploringacity knownto bethebest inhealthcarehasmademeeager for my future.A triptothecity isagreat way to stay busy,however,I lovecomingback to a beautiful collegecampusto live My past semestersat BChaveonly strengthenedmy lovefor theschool,thepeople,and most of all, my career pathasanurse.I feel extremely grateful for thenewnessand excitement that every day brings I amsothankful for MVYouth'sgenerosityand theinspirationthey givemetogiveback toacommunity I carefor

2022

S C H O L A R S H I P REPORTS

ELLA BUCHERT

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST

A wordthat surroundsthissemester for mehasbeen gratitude Amherst thisfall mademereflect onhow luckyI amto haveacollegeexperiencebecauseof MVYouth.I wasabletolivewiththreeof my best friends inahouseoff campusthisfall,andI felt very fortunateto havethisexperienceThissemester at UMassI havefelt myself growingandmaturingintellectually and emotionally ThoughI havelearnedsomuch academically at UMass,I?vealsolearnedalot asaperson. Thisfall I had theopportunity towork for School of Earth andSustainability (SES)astheir adminandoperations intern I wasabletowork withaninternteamto collaborateoneventsthat wehosted topromote sustainabilityacrosscampus Thisexperiencewas refreshingand wasniceto work for anorganizationthat alignedwithmy personal interests.I wasableto makeso many valuableconnectionsthroughthisexperience,and SESmademerealizehow interconnectedthe eco-community truly is I wasabletostill interact with past coworkersfrommy internshiplast springwiththe UMassWater ResourcesResearch Center whichwas exciting.SESmademeexpand onmy interest inthe natural sciences,and I officially declaredmy Geology minor thisfall

Thesemester flew by whichwasbittersweet I?mproud of what I achievedthissemester,and look forward tothe next whilealsotryingtostay inthemoment Next semester I havetakentheopportunity tostudy abroadat theUniversity of Queensland inBrisbane,Australia.I?m ecstaticabout studyingabroad andfeel fortunate.I?m most excitedtoseethebiodiversity inAustraliaandhave already signedupfor anexploratory coastal management class! I?mfeelingamixtureof excitement, anxiety,and longing I will missmy friendsand theUMass community dearly next semester,but amthrilled tosee what Australiawill bring I wouldn? t beabletodothis without MVYouth?shelp!

ISABELLA CLARKE

BROWN UNIVERSITY

My fifthsemester at BrownUniversity hasbeen amazing! Theenvironment isacademically demanding yet very supportive

Theopencurriculumhasallowedmetoexploretopics withinmy psychology major and pursuemy interest in law Thissemester,I wasenrolledinDebateof the Hippocampus,whichallowedmetostudy that brain areaextensively Inaddition,I?vecontinued participatingintheStudent Clinicfor Immigrant Justice Inthisprogram,I work withanattorney onan immigrationcase Thisopportunityhasallowedmeto apply theskillsI?velearnedinmy psychology courses whendiscussingthepainful experiencestheasylees hadenduredintheir homecountry

AsthePresident of theBlack Pre-Law Association,I hadtheprivilegeof attendingtheNational Black Pre-Law Conferencewithour members Asthe Women?sPre-Law Associationsecretary,I?vehad the opportunity tomeet withBrownalumsandlearnmore about thelaw school admissionsprocess.

I will continuetakingcoursesfor my entrepreneurship minor thisspringsemester.Thesebusinesscourses havebeenafunchallenge.

I will continueto internfor Connect For Health Inthis role,I connect thoseinneedtoother nonprofitsto providethemaccessto many necessities I alsostarted workingonaresearchproject withaprofessor from theCenter for HealthPromotionandHealthEquity Theproject aimstoexpresshow traumacanmanifest inphysical healthconcerns.I?veexpandedmy research skillsinthisroleby readingand choosingtoinclude articlesthat contributetothestudy?sargument

I look forwardtoexpandingmy interest inpsychology andlaw next semester andcreatingmorememorable experiences Theseinternshipsgivememoreinsight intovariouscareer paths Thank youfor supporting my educationandallowingmeaccesstothevarious opportunitiesofferedat Brown!

ALISON CUSTER CONNECTICUT COLLEGE

Thispast semester I continued my studiesinDenmark withtheDISstudy abroadprograminCopenhagen I havedreamt of goingtoCopenhagenfor alongtime, sobeingabletoliveandstudy therefor 4 monthswas truly adream I took 5 coursesinCopenhagen,eachof themenrichingand enlightening,but my twofavorites includedthePoliticsandEthicsof Foodand Activism: Engagement and Resistance It wasinterestingto be abletostudythesesubjectsfromadifferent perspectivethantheUS and tolearnabout themina Scandinaviancontext Thisespecially pertainstomy interestsinfoodequity andsustainability,asI planto pursuemy Social JusticeandSustainability Pathway project at Connfocusingonthistopic.Inmany of my classes,weattendedfieldstudiesacrossDenmark touringCo-HousingCommunities,sustainablefarms, activist organizations,andmore Thesefield studies andstudy tourswereoneof thethingsthat stoodout tomemost about theprogram I wasalsoableto travel aroundEuropeduringweekendsandbreaks, exploringcities,countrysides,andislands I wasable tomeet lifelongfriendsfromall over thecountry (and world),and createconnectionswithpeoplewhoI wouldn? t haveotherwisemet Copenhagentruly felt likehome,and leavingwasdifficult.However,I know it isnot goodbyeforever andI amoverwhelmedwith gratitudethat I even got theopportunityto call it home What agift Thisspringsemester,I will be takingmany coursesfor my AmericanStudiesmajor, aswell assomefor my Dancemajor back onthe Connecticut Collegecampus.I look forwardto continuingwork inmy Social Justiceand Sustainability Pathway,choreographinganddancing, andmoreof thewonderful thingsthat comewith returningtocampus!

Asalways,I couldnot havedoneany of thiswithout thehelpfromMVYouth Thesupport and encouragement never failstoamazemeand I am forever grateful for it.I cannot thank MVYouth enough

LUCASDA SILVA UPPERCAPETECH

Andhow timeflies Threeyearshavepassed But eachyear hasbeenayear of progressandbetter thanthelast,learningnew thingsandlivingour experiences Of course,new thingsare challengingandthisyear wasverydifferent from theothers,I wouldsay moreproductiveand my boss(ColePowers)gavememany opportunities andtaught mealot bothonandoff thefield.But ineachjobtherearenew things,new peopleand thisbecomesintuitiveespecially wheneveryone worksasateamyouseehow muchpotential peoplehavetogether.Just likeMVYouthgiving methisopportunity I alwaystalk about my job becauseit issomethingI love But changingthe story now I will talk about what I didthat was fun,startingwithridingalot onmy motorcycle withmy wife.Wewent toseveral nearby cities outsidetheislandand I alsorodealot on the island I got toknow New York and completed oneyear of marriage It wasayear that I wasable tofulfill awishof travelingalittlemore.I alsohad theprivilegeof havingmy grandparentsvisit us,I hadnot seenthemfor over sevenyears We spent Christmaswiththefamily andI love Christmasbecauseit bringsthefamily together andI alsohadthecompany Christmasparty whichwasamazingtobewitheveryonetogether havinganicetime I endedtheyear spending New Year'sEveinNew York asI hadsaidI got to know all thosetourist placesandit wasavery goodexperience I wasalsoabletomeet aperson whoinspiresmealot asaperson I canonly be thankful for ayear of challengesandalso rewards

JESSIE

DLABAJ

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Thispast fall semester at Clemsonhasbeenone of themost challenging,but rewarding semestersyet I havenow finishedtheintrolevel coursesfor Mechanical Engineeringandbegun themoreadvancedand specializedcourses I very muchenjoyedtheclassesI took thisfall. Oneof themost notableclasseswasmy IntroductionintoFluid Mechanicsand Thermodynamicscourse I really enjoyedthis material andI look forwardtothenext few semesterswhereI will takeaclassfocusedon bothof thesetopics

Outsideof academics,I work throughClemson?s AcademicSuccessCenter asacalculustutor Thispast semester I beganmy new roleasa tutor mentor Throughthisrole,I facilitate monthly meetingswiththeother tutors,conduct sessiondebriefs,and act asalink betweenthe tutorsand staff.I havereally enjoyedthisnew roleandI look forwardtonext semester! I was alsorecently hiredasacycleinstructor on campusandnext semester I will beginteaching two45-minutespinclassesaweek I havebeen trainingwithamentor thissemester and I cannot wait tobeteachingmy ownclassesnext semester! I havealsojoinedaCreativeInquiry calledDesignBuildFly InthisCI,weconstruct a planefromscratch that meetsall of the requirements.I havebeenapart of the StructuresandManufacturingteams,whereI haveworkedontheoverall designand actual constructionof theplane InApril,our teamwill gotoArizonawheretheflight competitionwill takeplace It hasbeenabusy,but very fun semester!

Overall,I wouldliketo thank MVYouthfor the incredibleopportunitiesI havebeengiven.I am forever grateful!

SAM FETTERS

AMHERST COLLEGE

Thiswasagreat year withsomepivots! Despitemy intenseinterest invideogamesandartificial intelligence,I decidedto formally declarePolitical ScienceandHistory whilealsoworkingtowardsthe FiveCollegesInternational Relationscertificate Insteadof studyinginSpain,I chosetoremainat Amherst thisfall whereI took anintroductory economicsclass,and classesonAmericanforeign policy,theriseof Vladimir Putin,and auniqueclass onthenineteenthcentury OttomanEmpire,and what it meanstobemodern I amworkingonathesison populismandpolarizationintheUnited States,with aneyetowardspublishinginthespring InJanuary 2025,I amexcitedtobeginmy springsemester inthe Social SciencesandHumanitiesprogramat the University of Amsterdam,whereI registered for several classescoveringDutchpolitics,thehistory of political thought,andauthoritariangovernments

Over thesummer,I wasawardeda2024 Sheldon Hackney EducationFellowshipat theMartha?s VineyardMuseum,whereI helpeddesign their summer programming,designed coursematerials, andtaught studentsandsummer visitorsabout Island history I alsoreturned toAmherst for my secondyear asanOrientationleader for new first yearsand workedasapeer tutor coveringstudy skillsand time management My hopefor next summer isto securea summer internshipinWashington,D.C.withalocal politicianor think tank

Outsideof class,I?vecontinuedtorunand engagein my collegecommunity InApril 2024,I rantheBoston Marathon,finishinginthetop900 out of 30,000 runners I alsorantheBerlinMarathon,and thoroughly enjoyedexploringthecity InApril 2025,I will beracingintheLondonMarathon,whileplansare intheworkstoraceChicagoand New York inthefall Noneof thiswould havebeenpossiblewithout the support of MVYouth,andI continuetobegrateful

LUCASGONCALVES

GORDON COLLEGE

My sophomoreyear wasarocky roller coaster experience I cameinreally excitedbecausethesoccer teamhad gottenanew coachandI wasantsy toget theseasonstarted.I wantedtobecomeoneof thekey playersintheteamandwithanew coach,thiswasthe perfect opportunity Astheseasonprogressedso did our positiveresults,I likedour new coachandhis systemof playingbecauseit madealot of sense Whenyouunderstandsomethingandseeresultsit is easier to?buy in?tothevision I truly believedinthe visionbut struggledtoget playingtime Insportsand just likeanythinginlife,theway youperceivethings influencestheway youact andI believedthat our new coachdidn? t likeme(heactuallyliked mealot) This ultimatelyaffectedmy performanceduringpractice whichreflectedgametime DuringthistimeI wasalso strugglingwithfindingmy purposeinlifewhichalso affectedmy performanceinschool About midway throughtheseason,I had amental shift andstarted playingwithout second-guessingmy abilities.I wasin theflow state Withthismental shift,I endedup breakingintothestartingeleven andbecomingakey component for theteaminthespring I brokefree fromthemental bondagethat washoldingmeback fromplayingtheway I knew I could.

I briefly mentionedmy struggleswithfindingmy purposeinlifeandalthoughI wasableto performon thefield,outsidethefieldI wasn? t well.I finished sophomoreyear withthesamebattleswhichaffected my wholesophomoreexperience I concludedthat Gordonisnot thepathfor meat themoment Asof now,I amlivingonMartha'sVineyardworking full-timeasanapprenticefor Merritt Electric.I am doingthelicensingnight classesat thehigh school and I admit that thosestruggleshavelessened;being homeandgivingback tomy churchandsoccer community hashelpedmegreatly I amforever grateful for MVYouth andall thesupport that I havereceived!

LILA MIKOS SYRACUSEUNIVERSITY

Thissemester returningtoSyracusewasso exciting Spendingthesummer takingclasses andworkinginSyracusewassuchanamazing experienceandI wasso excitedtocomeback after spendingthelast few weeksof my summer at home Thispast semester,I was takingclassesfocused onmy PublicHealth major Beforecomingto school I wasunsureif PublicHealthwasgoingtobethebest pathfor mebut I canconfidently say that it?stheperfect fit for what I?minterestedinand want todo post grad!

SyracuseUniversityhasabigfocusongiving back totheSyracusecommunity whenyou?rea student Oneof thewaysthey doso isby incorporatingcommunity serviceintothe requirementsfor certainclasses.Thissemester I took another servicelearningclassandwas placedwiththesameorganizationI worked withlast year Workingat anafter school programfor thekidslivinginSyracusewasso rewardingandwassuchapositiveway to end my days I lovethat theschool givesusthe opportunity toconnect withthecity wherewe liveandgiveback tothecommunity that does somuchfor usasstudents

Thisfall wasmy first timelivingoff campusand I havehadthebest time! I liveinahousewith3 other girlsandit hasbeensuchafun experience.How I missedhavingakitchen! Althoughoff campushousingisthebest, shovelingthesnow frommy sidewalk and driveway hasbeenmuchlessfun!

I amsoexcitedto beback inSyracusefor this springsemester andcannot wait to update about my adventuresnext year! I amso grateful for theamazingopportunitiesthat MVYouth hasallowedmetohaveaccesstoandcannot wait for what liesahead for meat Syracuse!

RUAIRI MULLIN

BROWN UNIVERSITY

My fourthsemester at Brownsolidified my academic plansfor thefinal twoyearsof college I took three appliedmathcoursesandonepolitical science courseinthespring,followed by twocoursesineach field inthefall,continuingmy goal of earning degreesinbothPolitical ScienceandApplied Mathematics Thispast year,I had theprivilegeof takingtwoof my favoritepolitical sciencecourses.In thespring,I explored social movementsof the21st century,examiningmovementssuchastheTea Party,Black LivesMatter,andlabor movementsin hospitalsandeducation Inthefall,I participatedin my first collegeseminar inPolitical Science,which focused ondemocratictheory.Wediscussed arange of topics,frominterpretationsof theConstitutionto theroleof corporationsingovernment The conversationswererigorousandintellectually stimulating,far moreengagingthantypical lecture-based classes.Thesecondpolitical science courseI took inthefall allowedmetobridgemy dual interestsinpoliticsandmath Ingroups,wedesigned surveysthat weredistributedafter thepresidential election,andthen analyzedthedatausingstatistical techniques,particularly linear regression,whichI had becomefamiliar withinmy mathcourses The past year hasbeenacademically challenging,more sothanany other year inmy educationso far I?m hopingthishardwork will pay off duringmy senior year,whenI can lightenmy courseloadandfocuson preparingfor lifeafter college Outsideof academics, I joinedtheBrownPolitical Union,whichwas established thisyear Theclubhostsspeakersand holdslighthearteddebatesduringitsbiweekly meetings.I alsocontinued participatinginclub swimmingtostay active Finally,I?vehad many opportunitiestoexploreRhodeIslandmore,getting off campusand out of thecity? addinganew dimensiontomy collegeexperience AsalwaysI am sograteful toMVYouthfor thefinancial support I havereceived It hasbeeninstrumental in supportingmy focusonmy academicand extracurricular pursuits

JONATHAN NORTON

WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE

2024 wasayear of change If I had tochoose onewordtodescribetheentireyear,it would berisk Concludingthespringsemester,I made thedecisionthat althoughI wasreceivinga strongeducationat Connecticut College,there wassomethinglacking I didnot know what I wasmissing,but I knew that I neededto take therisk topursuechange Alsobeingan athlete,I hadtorisk findingacoachand team that wouldbeagoodfit,but I trustedthat changeisnecessary tobuildstrength Followingresearchand communicationswith different schoolsandcoaches,I foundmy new hometobeWest VirginiaWesleyanCollege. Whilegoingtoschool inWest Virginiais extremely different thananythingI have experienced,it wasthebest decision I could havemade It isthroughthemorefocused educationdepartment that I amabletoget the foundational knowledgeI will need I was introducedtovariousviewpointsand ideologiesthat arenew tome,and my passion for educational policy begantogrow again Now,I want topursueafutureinthat field, makingsurethat everyonehastheopportunity toreceivetheeducationthat they areentitled toaspeopleinour society Whiletheremay be adifferenceinopiniononwhat that lookslike,I want tohelpbringtolight thebridgethat connectstheideasof everybody:wewant our childreneducated,caredfor,successful in whatever it isthey pursue,and,most importantly,happy I amgrateful for the support of MVYouththroughout my college career thusfar,and especially throughmy transitiontoanew school

MARINA PESSONI

CAPECOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Lookingback onmy 2024 fall semester,I am proudof how themajor shift I madein2023 TransitioningfromNursingtoBusiness AdministrationwithanAccountingconcentration hasshapedmy academicand professional journey

Thisyear,workingat atax servicesofficeproved tobeatransformativeexperience It allowedme todirectly apply conceptsfrommy coursework to real-worldscenarios Frompreparingfinancial documentstoassistingclientsand contributingto theoffice?sexpansionefforts,I gainedhands-on experiencethat reinforcedmy understandingof accountingprinciplesandbusinessstrategies

Theunexpectednatureof thisopportunity challengedmeinwaysI hadn? t anticipated,but it alsospurred immensepersonal andprofessional growth I learnedtoadapt quickly,solveproblems creatively,and balancethedemandsof work and study effectively What oncefelt likeanuncertain pathhasbecomearewardingjourney,asI see tangibleprogressinbothmy educationand career

Oneof themost meaningful aspectsof this experiencehasbeentheconnectiontotheIsland community.Throughmy role,I?vebeenableto contributeto agrowinglocal businesswhile developingaclearer visionof my future Although Nursingremainsclosetomy heart,my current pathhasshownmenew waysto serveothers

I remaindeeply grateful toMVYouthfor their support Their investment inmy educationhas beeninstrumental inmakingthisprogress possible,enablingmetoembraceopportunities andcontinuegrowing AsI moveinto2025,I carry forward thelessonsof 2024 with confidenceand gratitude,eager for what lies ahead

GRAHAM STEARNS

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

Thisfall wasmymost challengingsemester at Colgatesofar, but wasoneof my most funyet I took prideinbeingan educator androlemodel for thenew membersof ThetaChi?s Iotachapter,aswell ascontinuingasamember of theclub hockey andlacrosseteams I continuedto takeclasses towardscompletingmy Environmental Studiesmajor and WritingandRhetoricminor,andI amalmost finishedwiththe requirementsfor both

Spendingtimewiththestudentsand professorswithinthe environmental and writingdepartmentshasbeenan extremely rewardingexperiencefor me.It hasallowedmeto learnfrompeoplewithawidebreadthof knowledgeand experiencefromapplyingtheir skillsindifferent fields The wealthof perspectivesand ideashasfosteredan environment that hasbeenespecially beneficial to my learningasI honeinonhow I will choosetoapply my educationafter college.

Althoughtheimportanceof my major andminor-based classesarerampingupasI approachmy final year of college,I amcontinuingtoexplorenew ideasandactivities This semester I took classesstudyingthehistory of classical music andmodernart Oneof my favoritethingsabout collegeso far hasbeentheability totakeclasseswithsubjectsthat are unfamiliar or foreigntome.

AsI havediscoveredthebenefit of immersingmyself innew experiences,I havechosentostudy abroadinAustralia duringthespringsemester.I will beattendingtheUniversity of Sydney tocontinuemy studiesandexploretheir culture I amexcitedtotakeclassessurroundingtheir environment and ecosystem,aswell astravel anddiscover new peopleand places

I wouldliketothank MVYouth,thedonors,andall of the peoplewhomakethisprogrampossible I amincredibly grateful for theopportunitiesthat havebeenpresentedto me throughtheir scholarshipprogramwhichhaveallowedmeto grow asanacademicandindividual Thegenerosity of everyoneinvolvedhasgivenmeunforgettableand irreplaceableexperiencesthat I will forever begrateful for 58

ZACH UTZ

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

Thispast semester wasoneof my best yet,withmy fall havingbeenspent inAustraliaasI studied abroad! I attendedtheSchool for International Training(SIT)Reef,Rainforest and Cultural Ecology programbased out of Cairns,AustraliawhereI spent hundredsof hoursout intheWet Tropicsrainforest andtheGreat Barrier Reef learningabout the immenseterrestrial and aquaticbiodiversity inand aroundAustralia.Thehighlight of my timein Australiawascertainly the11 daysI stayedat the LizardIslandresearchstationwithmy classmates wherewewereableto snorkel ontheGreat Barrier Reef every day,wherewesaw multiplesharks, thousandsof fish,and ahugevariety of coralsand other seacreatureswhilelearningabout coral reef ecologyand thehuman-causedthreatstowardsthe immensebiodiversity that existsbecauseof them In additiontotheclassesI took inand aroundCairns,I spent amonthinSydney conductingan independently organizedresearchproject at the Sydney Instituteof MarineSciencewithaPhD student fromtheUniversity of New SouthWales All of theincredibleexperiencesI had over thelast four monthswould never havebeenpossiblewithout the support of MVYouthand I amsoincredibly grateful for thecontinued support I havereceivedduringmy undergraduatestudies

Lookingforward,I amexcitedtospendmy Spring semester at Middlebury continuingmy academic endeavorsinBiology andEnvironmental Studies whilecompetingonthetrack team AlthoughIt?sa lot colder and thesunsetsagoodbit earlier here thanit diddownunder,I foundmyself excitedto returnto my home;theNortheast,and toall of my incrediblefriendsand family Again,I amsograteful for thecontinued unwaveringsupport MVYouthand Lindsey havegivenmethesepast twoand ahalf years!

CRYSTAL ZHENG

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, DARTMOUTH

Thisfall semester,I continuedpursuingmy nursing degreeat UMassBoston,and I?vebeenlovingthe experience! Beinginthecity hasbeensucha refreshingchange,offeringnew opportunities! Oneof thehighlightsof thesemester wasstarting my first clinical at SpauldingRehabilitation Hospital,part of theMassGeneral Brigham system,inthespinal cordunit It wasanexciting experienceandI loveit alot! I truly enjoy every moment of it I wasplacedinasmall groupwith just twoother students,whichI appreciated becauseit allowedour instructor togiveusmore individualizedattention

Inour HealthAssessment Lab,wepracticed head-to-toeassessmentswithreal patientsfrom HopeHouse,aprogramthat supportsindividuals recoveringfromsubstanceuseand alcoholism Thesepatientsvolunteer to helpusdevelopour skillsby actingasour patients.Performinga head-to-toeassessment waschallengingbecauseit involvesevaluatingthepatient?soverall healthand body systemstoidentify any abnormalities However,I lovedthehands-onpracticewithreal patientsrather thanmannequins.I think that give meanopportunity toask questions,hear their stories,andlearnabout their journeystoward recovery Their resilienceand opennesswastruly inspiring,andit madetheexperienceeven more meaningful

Overall it wassuchanexcitingandrewarding experience,filledwithhands-onlearning opportunitiesthat I truly enjoyedand loved! It?s amazingtoseehow far I?vecome,and I?m incredibly grateful tomy community and MVYouth for supportingmethroughout thisjourney I?mso proudof what I?veaccomplishedandcouldn? t be happier withhow thingshaveturnedout!

2021

S C H O L A R S H I P

MICHAELA BENEFIT

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Over thecourseof thispast year,I have accomplishedmorethanI couldimagine,this wouldn? t bepossiblewithout thegeneroushelp fromMVYouth.In2024 I graduated fromthe University of Connecticut withanassociate's degreeinAnimal Science,whereI learnedsome of my truepassionsinlife DuringthistimeI joinedmy college'swestern teamfor horseback riding,anoutingclubthat involvedmein off-campustripssuchashikingupMount Washingtonand skiingupat SmugglersNotch Duringmy collegeexperience,I madesome unforgettableconnectionsand memoriesthat I will get tosharefor alifetime After graduating college,I went ontowork intheveterinary field andapply what I learnedwithmy degreeand madegreat relationswithclientsandfellow coworkers My lovefor animalsgoesquite farther thanwhat?sseenfromtheoutside I grew upwiththisloveever sinceI wasalittle girl,and I?mbeyondthankful for the opportunitiesthat MVYouthhasgivenme Post-graduationI havenot only stuck ajob of my dreamsbut havetraveled quiteabit since, whichisanother truepassionof mine Since graduating,I havetraveledtoGrenada, Catskills,New York,visitedfamily upin Vermont,andgot totravel uptoNew Hampshirewithsomeof my great friendsI madethroughcollege Althoughthisisabrief insight intomy lifenow,I can? t wait to keep sharingmy experiencesthroughwhat this scholarshiphasofferedtome I can? t thank all of youenough for how muchyouall havechanged my lifefor thebetter

MADELINE CHRONISTER

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, STOCKBRIDGE

SomaybeI?vehad abit of anon-traditional perspectiveonwhat collegeissupposedto mean But isit acrimetosay that I didn? t set asidefour yearsof my lifetosit in poorly-ventilatedlecturehallsandwrite papers?I?mrestless,albeit alittleshy and independent (maybeadownfall of thosewho choosemy fieldof study),andI?d muchrather spendtheday diggingfor grubsinaturf field I?vebeenupand about thissemester,bothin classandout,throwingropesintreesand hiking inthepouringrainlookingfor mushrooms, divingintocoldriversanddraggingmy friends toconcertsandmarketsandonetimethat hotpot placeinSpringfield I saw several square milesof theworldbelow mefromthe candle-stick of abucket truck,vertigoandawe swimminginmy stomach I cansafely say that overcomingafear of heightswasmy biggest challengeinthat particular class Inmy plant pathology lab,I saw tiny cloudsof bacteria bleedfrominfectedplant tissueunder a microscope,watched zoosporesandnematodes swimaroundinall their pathogenicfervor That?swhat collegeshouldbe,for me,and what it largely hasbeen I seealittlemoreof this beautiful andprecariousworld every day It?s my last year at UMassAmherst,andI?mgoingto makethemost of it Next semester,I will bea labassistant for theprofessor whotook usout grub-hunting,aTA for my plant pathology professor,andI amenrolledinaclasstolearn chainsaw techniques.After I graduate,I wishto continuetoseetheworld,to learnwithmy hands,andmost importantly,tohavefun Peace andlove,andasalways,thank youMVYouth

CHLOE COMBRA

TRINITY COLLEGEDUBLIN

Asathirdyear student at Trinity College DublinI got theopportunity tostudy abroad thisyear Myabroad placement wasthe University of OtagoinNew Zealand.Myfirst semester therewasabsolutelyamazing- I met so many great friendsand hadtheopportunity to travel andvisit muchof thecountry I spent many of my weekendsdrivingupto the mountainswithfriendstogoskiinginAugust / September andalsodida3 week roadtrip aroundtheSouthIsland withmy sister in November I amso excitedtogoback for my next semester whereI?ll belivinginahouseby thebeachandoneof my best friendsfrom Trinity inDublinwill bejoiningmeona semester abroad Inbetweensemestersonmy summer break I amcurrently spending3 monthslivingand workingat aski resort inthe Frenchalpsbeforegoingback toNew Zealand inMarch.Thispast summer in2024 beforemy year abroadI didaninternshipfor ageography fellow at TrinityCollegeDublinanddeveloped aprototypetoteachclimatemitigationand adaptationstrategiestochildreninIrish primary schools.It wasagreat experienceandI hopetocontinuemy work whenI returnfor fall 2025 Overall - anabsolutely amazingfirst half of theyear withgreat opportunitiesI can? t wait to seewhat happensnext semester!

BROOKE CROCKER

TUFTSUNIVERSITY

Thepast twosemestersat TuftsUniversity were filledwithnew experiences,interestingclasses, andgreat opportunities.Duringthespring semester I studiedabroad inMadrid,Spain I lived withahost family andtook all my classesin Spanish,allowingmy Spanishskillstoflourish throughtheimmersion I learnedso muchabout Spanishcultureand traveledtoother countries, includingMorocco,France,and Portugal Twoof my favoriteaspectsof studyingabroad were makingnew friendshipsandexpandingmy artistic skillsthroughamixed-mediaartsclassanda creativewritingclass Furthermore,I interned at theFulbright CommisionEspaña,helpingto organizeinformationabout applicantsand current Englishteachingassistants inSpain I enjoyed gaininginsight intohow theFulbright Commission operatesandfunctions I hopetohavethe opportunity tovisit Spainagainafter I graduate,as I enjoyedmyfour monthsthereimmensely

Followingmy semester inSpain,I internedat GoldmanSachsover thesummer,workingasa Summer Analyst inOperations It wasanincredible learningopportunity andI enjoyed all of the projectsandtasksI workedonwithmy fellow internsandcoworkers After agreat spring semester andbusy summer,I returnedto Tufts, excitedtobeginclassesandreconnect withmy friends I spent muchof thissemester attending classes,studying,spendingtimewithfriends,and workingat alocal coffeeshop My favoriteclass thissemester wasEnvironmental Justiceand WorldLiterature Asacohort,weweretasked with creatingaclassactionsocial project We successfully designedawebsitedetailing informationabout sacrificezonesand how onecan individually makeadifference.It?sbittersweet to begraduatingfromTuftsnext semester,but I am sothankful for MVYouthand their continuous support

LARISSA DE OLIVEIRA

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST

My spring2024 semester providedmewiththe opportunityto expandmy skillsand experiencesinways that will beinvaluableinmy futurecareer Onehighlight wasLiteratureandEducation,acoursetaught by Professor Jenny Adams,whichallowedmetodeveloppractical teachingskillssuchaslesson planning,activity building, andassignment drafting.I particularly enjoyed implementingmy lessonplanswhileteachingaclass,asit gavemehands-onexperience Thecoursealsoemphasized theimportanceof community building,enablingmy classmatesandmetocollaborateandexchangeideason how toenhancetheclassroomexperienceinfuture teachingroles.

Another standout classwasPersonalityPsychology,taught by Professor JohnBickford.Hisengagingand enriching teachingstylemadethecoursebothenjoyableand intellectually stimulating Overall,thissemester gaveme thechancetobuildastrongfoundationfor my senior year whilealsoappreciatingthebeauty of Amherst inthe spring.

ReturningtoUMassinthefall for my final year was bittersweet.Duringthissemester,I focused oncompleting therequirementsfor my major and minor,aswell as finishingthecoursesneededfor my TESOL(Teaching EnglishtoSpeakersof Other Languages)certificate Alongsideacademics,I madeit apriority tocreatelasting memoriesat UMass I regularly attendedsportsgames, participatedincampusevents,andengaged inclub activities,makingthemost of my remainingtimeon campus

AsI look aheadto my final semester,I feel bothexcitement andnostalgia WhileI?meager towrapupmy experienceat UMass,I?malsoanticipatingthebittersweet emotionsthat graduationwill bring I amdeeply grateful for thesupport I?vereceivedfromthedonorsand theMVYouth organization,whichhasplayed anessential roleinmaking thisjourney possible

MARIA CLARA LACERDA

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Thispast semester hasbeenanincrediblejourney asI studiedabroadat BondUniversityintheGoldCoast, Australia Havingnever traveled tothissideof the globe,I wasnervousyet excitedtoembracethe opportunitiesandadventuresahead.Bond University,thoughsmall,offered anintimateand supportivecommunitywhereI formedlifelong friendships,adaptedtonew challenges,andgained valuablepersonal andacademicinsightsthat I will carry withmefor alongtime.

ThecoursesI took werefascinatingand alignedreally well withmy major inPsychology and Business Administration,alongwithmy minor indatascience I particularly enjoyedexploringconsumer dataand marketingtrendsthroughaglobal lens,whichgave mefreshperspectivestobringback home

Outsidetheclassroom,I immersed myself in Australia?svibrant culture TheGoldCoast?sbeautiful beaches,amazingweather,and outdoor lifestyle madeit easy toadapt and explore.I learned how to livemoreindependently,embracenew perspectives, andtruly appreciatethediversity of experiencesthe worldhastooffer Thissemester broadenedmy horizonsinwaysI couldn? t haveimagined,andI feel moreconfident,inspired,andpreparedfor thefuture.

AsI returnhome,I?meager tocontinuebuildingon what I?velearned.I?ll soonbeapplyingfor my second co-opandlook forwardtointegratingtheknowledge andglobal insightsI?vegained intomy academicand professional life

Thank youtoMVYouthfor makingthis transformativeexperiencepossible Your support has allowedmetonot only pursuemy educationbut also grow inwaysthat will havealastingimpact onmy future.I amdeeplygrateful for theopportunitiesthis scholarshiphasaffordedmeandwill continueto makethemost of them

RUBY REIMANN BATESCOLLEGE

Thispast fall,I completedmy fourthyear of collegiate soccer at Bates,servingascaptainof theBatesWomen?s Soccer Team.I receivedawardsfor leadershipand communicationskills I wasselectedfor the2024-25 AcademicAll-District® Women'sSoccer Teamby College SportsCommunicators,recognizingtopstudent-athletes for performanceonthefield andintheclassroom Additionally,I wasnamedtotheNESCACFall All-AcademicTeamfor maintainingaGPA of 3 50 or higher duringtheseason

Theseasonbeganonahighnote,but wenarrowly missed theplayoffsafter acloselosstoour Mainerival,Colby College Whiletransitioningaway fromcollegiatesoccer hasbeenachallengingexperience,I amdeeply grateful for theopportunityto competeat suchanelitecollege Much of thishasbeenpossiblethankstothesupport of MVYouth

Off thefield,I havebeenlivinginanoff-campushouse supportedby MVYouth,sharingthespacewiththree teammatesandbest friends Thisexperiencehasbeena wonderful opportunityto develophomeowner skillswhile creatinglastingmemories

Academically,thisyear hasbeenbothchallengingand rewarding I took threeupper-level Psychology courses: HealthPsychology,CounselingPsychology,and Sensation andPerception.Aspart of my coursework,I worked ona researchproject exploringhow political attitudesaffect visual perception Inmy electiveEthnographicMethods course,I conductedaproject examininggender differencesinthesport experiencesof Bates student-athletesinthepost-TitleIXera.Thisproject was fulfilling,offeringvaluableinsightsintohow different athletesnavigatetheir sportsexperiencesat Bates Withgraduationapproaching,I amactively applyingto jobsintheBostonarea,withinterest inacareer inPublic Health I recentlyappliedfor aJobShadow Opportunity throughBates,whichI will completethisspring Additionally,I ampreparingtowork onmy Senior Thesis duringtheupcomingsemester.

ERIC REUBENS TUFTSUNIVERSITY

Thispast year hasbeenfilledwithmany interestingextracurricular andacademic venturesasI amfinishingupmy senior year at Tuftsandpreparingto studyand apply to medical schools.I workedat Boston Children'sHospital over thesummer inthe Anesthesiology department asaresearch assistant for adrugdeliveryproject This experienceallowedmetoexploreclinical researchfieldsmorethoroughly,andgain experienceandinsight workingwith post-doctoratesinthefieldaswell asthe doctorsrunningthelab I havealsobeen workingtofurther expand theeffortsof my clubTuftsDoctorsWithout Borders, continuingtoadvocatefor humanitarianaid efforts,bringspeakersand facilitate educational eventsthat illuminatesthework that DoctorsWithout Bordersdoesaround theworld,andbringingmorevolunteering experiencestotheTuftsstudent community by workingwithdifferent volunteer organizations

KAYA SEIMAN

BRIDGEWATER STATE UNIVERSITY

InAugust I graduated fromBridgewater State University(BSU)withaBSinBusiness AdministrationandManagement witha ConcentrationinHumanResourcesandin September I startedaMaster of Sciencein Accountancy programat my almamater.I madea bigshift fromwhereI started my collegiate experienceasaPhysical Therapy major,but I am sopleasedI followedmy pathand foundmy passion I amalsograteful to MVYouthfor their generosity throughout my undergraduate experienceand especially supportingmy early graduation

Currently,I amworkingasaGraduateAssistant at BSU intheAcademicAchievement Center (AAC)asanAcademicCoach Asanacademic coachI work withstudentstoaid their academic successduringtheir collegeexperience I support studentswithorganizational skills,time management,test strategiesand strategiesto reducetest anxiety I amalsoastudent advocate andwork closely withstudent athletes It has beenarewardingexperienceandI feel I am givingback tomy collegecommunity.

I?menjoyingmy graduatecoursework and thrilledtobeginanAudit InternshipinJunewith my toppick accountingfirm.Peoplejokethat accountingisboring(soI won? t boreyouwiththe details),but I findsolvingtheproblemsvery rewarding

Onapersonal note,I got apuppy inFebruary He'sacorgi namedTurboandheisthebest additiontomy life WhenI?mnot walkingTurbo andtheweather isconducive,youcan findmeon thegolf course.Jugglinggraduateschool,work andadogisachallenge,but I amfocusedand workingtowardmy goals I wouldn? t want my life any other way

ELLIE THOMAS

WHEATON COLLEGE

Thefall semester wasadynamicand rewardingperiodinmy academicand professional journey Asasenior at Wheaton CollegemajoringinBusinessandManagement withaconcentrationinFinance,I focusedon developingastrongfoundationinfinancial principles,investment strategies,and market analysis Oneof thehighlightsof thesemester wasmy investmentsclass,whereI explored conceptssuchasportfoliomanagement,risk assessment,andresponsibleinvesting This classdeepenedmy passionfor sustainableand impactful investment strategies,whichaligned withmy valuesand career aspirations

Inadditiontomy major,I continued pursuing my doubleminorsinJournalismand Dance, bothof whichofferedvaluableperspectives that complementedmy businessstudies Journalismremainedavital tool inour society, enablingmetosharpenmy research,writing, andanalytical thinkingskills Throughwriting assignmentsandprojects,I learnedhow to communicatecomplexideaseffectively,skills that weretransferabletoafinancial career Dance,ontheother hand,remainedaconstant sourceof creativity and disciplineinmy life It providedmewithbalanceandanoutlet for expression,helpingmestay groundeddespite my hecticschedule

Beyondtheclassroom,I actively preparedfor lifeafter graduation I sought mentorshipand guidancefromexperienced financial professionals,whoofferedinvaluableinsights intotheindustry Networkingevents, informational interviews,andcareer fairs allowedmetogrow my professional network whileexploringpotential career paths These opportunitiesreinforcedmy goal of pursuinga career infinance

WILLA WELCH

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Thisfall I went intomy senior year at Northeastern Universitywithout knowingthat it would bemy senior year. I wasoriginally onthe5 year track,but waspresentedwithsomeexcitingopportunities that changedmy plan

A year ago,I wasthrilled at theideaof co-opingas asoftwareengineer at HubSpot,thoughit felt like adistant dreamgiventhecompetitiveinterview processmixedwithagood amount of self-doubt Everythingshiftedwhen,only hoursafter submittingmy resume,I receivedtheat-home assessment Over thenext twomonths,I poured myself intolearningsoftwarebasicsandjust about everythingHubSpot,jugglingclassesand my social life(10 roommates!),andnavigatingfour roundsof interviews.I wasat Trader Joe?swhenI received theco-opoffer,andI?ll never forget theimmense prideI felt inthat moment I wasglad that I pushed myself evenwhenit felt super daunting I exploredEuropeand workedontheVineyard throughout Mayand Junebeforepackingupfor Bostoninthebeginningof July I?ll admit,after all of thework I?d doneto get theposition,I was nervousthat I may not even likeworkingasa softwareengineer Well,turnsout I didn? t just like it? I LOVED it I felt challengedyet supported, capablewithsomuchroomtogrow,and excitedto get towork every morning At theendof theco-op, I wasthrilledtosay ?seeyoulater?insteadof ?goodbye,?toHubSpot asI?ll bereturningfull-time thisfall after graduatinginMay

AsI preparefor my final semester at Northeastern University,I cannot thank MVYouthenough for thesupport throughout thelast four years I have learnedsomuchthroughout my timeat Northeastern,atonabout computersand software,but moreimportantly about friendship andabout myself Thank youMVYouth!

2019/ 2020

S C H O L A R S H I P

WAGNER COLLEGE JO ORR

Thankstothesupport of MVYouth,I?mfinishingoff my senior year at Wagner College I plantograduate summacumlaudethisspringwithaBachelor of Arts inmusicstudies.Thispast year hasbeena whirlwind,withauditions,recitals,and performances I most recentlyplayed Brutusin Shakespeare?sJuliusCaesar at Wagner,witha student-ledgroupcalled ShakespeareOnTheOval It wasanhonor tostepintoarolethat hasbeen aroundfor hundredsof years.

Thislast summer,I continuedtowork asahenna artist ontheisland,whilealsosingingat gigslike First Friday and theTisbury Street Fair

For pridemonthlast June,I put upanart show at MochaMottsinVineyardHaven My piecesfocused onbinary thinkingand thestark contrastsbetween right and wrong,inspired by thecurrent political debatessurroundingthelivesof transpeople

I?mvery lucky tohavefoundyear-round housingon theVineyardfor myself,so I?ll bereturningtothe islandonceI graduate I couldnot havemadeit this far without MVYouth,and I will beforever grateful that I?vebeenabletogoto collegeand graduate debt-free

ZEPHYRINE THOMPSON

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

My final semester at GeorgeWashingtonUniversity hasarrived! After asemester-longleavelast spring, IreturnedtoDCinSeptember for my final year.The leavewasmuchneeded,and gavemetimeto reconnect withmyfamily andself at home I had the honor of learningabout gardening/landscapingwith anexperiencedVineyarder,aswell asworkingwith Circuit Arts?children?stheatreprogramasa counselor I alsospent theweekendswiththeMV Playhouse?swonderfullytalented Fabulists, performinginteractivetheatrefor (andwith!)a fabulousyoungaudience Feelingreinvigorated,I returnedtoschool for Fall 2024.

Thefall semester brought several fascinatingcourses InReligion,Myth,andMagic,wediscussed definitionsof religionglobally and engagedin thoughtful analysesof what social functionsthese conceptsperform My ForensicHistory & International Affairsprofessor,adirector at GW?s National Security Archive,introducedustotheworld of FOIA andthemethodology of interpretingand utilizingdeclassifiedinformation(Rule#1:Be preparedtowait afew decades!) Inmy Cartography/GIScourse,I learnedvaluablemapping softwareskillsthat I used tocontributeover 2000 nodestoanOpenSourcemapof Martha?sVineyard. Classesthissemester areoff toagreat start These includeamicrobiology courseonPandemicsand Epidemics,International Economics,International Development,andacoupleof Frenchcourses focusingonbothFranceandFrancophoneregions At thecloseof thissemester inMay 2025,I amproudto say that I will graduatewithadoublemajor in International Affairs(concentrationinGlobal Public Health)andFrenchLanguage&LiteraturefromGWU Thisgenuinely wouldnot havebeenpossiblefor me without thehelpof MVYouth,andI amforever grateful for theeffort and generosity that goesinto makingthisprogrampossible.

GRADUATE REPORTS

Inthefollowingpages,youcanreadabout theMVYouthscholarshiprecipientswhohave graduatedfromcollegeandcompletedtrainingprograms.By theendof thisacademicyear, 45 studentswill havegraduatedfromfour-year collegeprogramsand11 studentswill have completedoneandtwo-year technical trainingprograms. Seewhat they areuptonow!

JP ALVES

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

Thispast year hasbeenatimeof significant growth,bothpersonally and professionally MyundergraduatedegreefromtheUniversityof SanDiego openedthedoor to countlessopportunitiesinthefieldof International Business Amongthemany facetsof international business,thedynamicand rapidly evolvingworldof technology provedtohavebeenthemost captivatingindustry for metopursueacareer in.Workingat Housecall Pro inthetechindustry hasimmersed meinafast-pacedand ever-changing businessecosystemthat I findperfectly demanding InnovationslikeAI keep meconstantly learningand adapting,whichservesasgreat opportunitiesto delveinto At Housecall ProI work inStrategicPartnerships,building relationshipswithkey suppliersanddistributorstoenhancethecompany?s partnershipsand expandtheir impact.Thisrolehasgivenmeinvaluable experienceincollaborationand negotiation,helpingmeunderstandhow to aligndiversebusinessintereststo drivemutual success Inadditionto my roleat Housecall Pro,I amonthecuspof graduatingfrommy Master?sof ScienceinSupply ChainManagement,alsoat theUniversity of SanDiego I havelearnedhow supply chainisavital and impactful fieldthat touches every industry,and mergingmy career intechwiththisdisciplinehas allowedmetoexploreauniqueandexcitingintersectionof business Looking ahead,I aimtomergemy expertiseintechnology and supply chain management tomakeanimpact onaglobal scale Withsupply chains increasingly reliant ontechnological advancements,I aspiretohelp businessesaroundtheworldoptimizetheir operations,enhanceefficiency, anddriveinnovationinaninternational context Noneof thisprogresswould havebeenpossiblewithout theincrediblesupport of MV Youth The generosity of MVYouthanditsdonorshaspropelledmeforwardinwaysI am endlessly grateful for I amproudtorepresent suchanexceptional organizationandwill alwayscredit themfor jumpstartingthesuccessI achieveasI continuetogrow inmy career MVYouth?sbelief inmy potential hasbeenaconstant sourceof motivationandinspiration,and I amdeeply thankful for theopportunitiesthey havemadepossible

NICOLASANDRE

COLLEGEOF HOLY CROSS

Thispast year hasbeenanincrediblejourney of growthand adventure I havehad theopportunity tocontinuemy work asamedical scribe,arole that continuestoprovidemewithinvaluablehands-onexperienceinthe medical field Thisexperiencenot only sharpenedmy clinical knowledge but alsosolidified my passionfor pursuingacareer inmedicine Astheyear progresses,I amnow focused onpreparingfor medical school I will be enteringtheapplicationcyclethisupcomingsummer andlook forwardto thechallengesthat will pose.

I wasblessedtohavetheopportunity toembark onanother coast-to-coast roadtripthispast year aswell Asalways,thisadventureallowedmeto connect withpeoplefromall walksof life,broadenmy perspective,and appreciatethebeauty anddiversity of our country Despiteanincredibly divisiveandpolarizingelectionyear,I alwaysfindthat wearemuch closer thanwemaythink

Another significant aspect of thisyear hasbeenadjustingtolifeinLos Angeles Movingtoabustlingcity likeLA wasinitially overwhelming,but it hasproventobeaninvaluableexperience BeforeI knew it,thisonce foreignenvironment transformedintomy home.I?vebeenkeentonavigate thedynamicurbanenvironment,meet new people,andembraceall of LA?s richcultural offerings I would alsoberemissnot tomentionthetragic wildfiresthat arestill ragingonand expressmy gratitudetoLAFD andthe inmateswhoareputtingtheir livesindanger to protect our city

Overall,thisyear hasbeenachapter filledwithpersonal and professional growth I amexcitedtocontinuethisjourney and eagerly look forwardto thechallengesandopportunitiesthat lieahead Asalways,my sincerest gratitudeto MVYouthfor providingthesupport to allow for any of thisto happen

SAM BRESNICK

BOSTON COLLEGE

Thispast fall I enrolledat WakeForest University School of Law in Winston-Salem,NorthCarolina Thefirst semester wasintenseand challenging,but I lovedtheprocessof it.I really enjoyed theclass discussions,theprofessors,andthecommunity at Wake.Thefirst semester I hadTorts,Contracts,andCriminal law,and thisupcoming semester I amfinishinguptherest of my doctrinal andtakingCivil Procedure,Property,and Constitutional Law Thisexperiencehasbeen eye-opening,and withthat my career aspirationshavechanged.Thereare many different career pathsthat I amopentoand awiderangeof practice areasthat I aminterestedin I amgoingtousemy timehereto explore thosedifferent options Currently,I'mlookingtoeither internwith government agenciesinWashingtonDC or inBoston,or clerkingfor a judgeover thesummer months Whatever I endupdoingI havenodoubt theexperiencewill berewarding,and amexcitedtoseewhat opportunities areahead Withthat,I amgrateful for thehelpthat MVYouth hasgivenme, andappreciativeof thework that MVYouthcontinuestodoinhelpingthe Islandcommunity I cannot thank youenough!

GARRETT BROADLEY

NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTEOF TECHNOLOGY

I?mstill usingtheknowledgethat wasgiventomeby NEITevery day to makeafuturefor myself,still workingand livinginConnecticut but some thingshaschangedinmy jobthat I?mexcitedabout.Seemslikeall my hard work ispayingoff,I loveturningwrenchesit really givesmeasenseof accomplishment whenyoutakesomethingthat not alot of other people canfixand youfixit properly I?mjust over 3 yearsof workingat theshopI amcurrently at I feel likeI haveprovenmyself andI hopethat I will keep that trust of my bossthroughmy work experienceswehavetogether Not only doI still turnwrenchesI alsoaminchargeof theshopnow,pretty muchtheleadtechnician,my bossgavemeadesk that hasmy diplomaand all my certificationsonand evenbusinesscardswithmy own nameon sittingupfront inthewaitingroom,but I know that it comeswithmore responsibility whichI thoroughly enjoy,I now amnot only inchargeof not only themechanicsbut I alsonow takepoint of gettingintouchwith insurancecompaniestomakesurethat weget claimsandpoliciesfulfilled for proper careof thecustomer and vehiclerepairs I alsohavetheability towriterepair ordersfor vehiclescomingfor serviceandhavemore contact withthecustomerscomingintoanswer questionsor easetheir concernsabout their vehiclewhichissuper fun,I?vealwayswanted somewhat of aserviceadvisor roleandhopefully I can work my way deeper intothebusinessto helpmy bosscreatesomethinggreat I will be forever grateful for what thisscholarshiphasdonefor meinmy education becauseI truly believeI wouldn? t bewhereI amtoday without your support

PETER BURKE

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

Last spring,I graduatedfromMiddlebury Collegehavingcompletedmy BA in MathematicsandComputer Science WhileI hadapprehensionsabout collegegraduationbeingatimeof turmoil andchange,I havebeenvery happy withmy transitionto lifeafter Middlebury.I enjoyedasummer off fromacademicstorelax and reset abit andhavenow resumedmy studiesin agraduateprograminApplied Mathematicsat theUniversityof Colorado, Boulder

GoingintoaPhD programinAppliedMathematicsstraight out of undergraduate,I wasabit nervoushavingheardsomany storiesabout how hardgraduateschool couldbe.However,over thecourseof my first semester,I feel asthoughI havesettled intotheprogram Whileclassesare hard,Middleburyoffered mestrongpreparation Further,theteaching component of school hasbeenrewarding,and I haveenjoyedhelping studentslearncollegelevel math I havecherishedtheopportunity to potentially helpinspireastudent to findjoy andintrigueintheir studiesthe sameway my undergraduateinstructorsdidfor me Finally,whileI amstill in theearly stagesof uncoveringthefull scopeof my researchinterests,being at aprogramwithsuchstrongresearchproductioninasubject I findso interestinghasbeenexciting,and I look forward todivingdeeper intothis aspect of theprograminthecomingsemestersand years.

Settlingintoanew programandnew place,I havereflectedonhow grateful I amfor my last four yearsat Middlebury,andMVYouth for helpingtoprovide mewiththeseopportunities.WhileI misstheVineyardand Vermont,I am very happy tohavefoundanew homehereandBoulder,andI haveloved makingnew connectionsandexploringmy new areaonfoot,bike,andski As I beginthisnew chapter inmy life,I amcontinually grateful for thesupport of MVYouthtomeand somany I know Thank you!

SAM CRANSTON

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT

Thispast year hasbeenaperiodof significant growthandtransformationin my journey asascientist I havecontinued inmy roleasaLabManager at theBostonUniversityCenter for RegenerativeMedicine(CReM) At the CReM,I amamember of theMurphy Laboratory,wherewestudy healthy agingby examiningthegeneticsignaturesof centenarians?individualswho livepast 100 yearsoldand display anexceptional resistanceto aging-relateddiseases

Buildingonmy researchexperiencesfrommy undergraduatestudiesat the Universityof Vermont andmy current work at theCReM,I havetakenan excitingnext stepinmy career by applyingtoPhD programsinbiomedical scienceat institutionsacrossthecountry I amcurrently interviewingat threeschoolsand eagerly await theoutcomes,whichwill befinalizedby April 1st A PhD programwill providetheopportunity toexplorelabsacross my rangeof scientificinterests,fromAlzheimer'sdiseasetoinfectious pathogensandother topicsinbetween I will ultimately choosealabto conduct my thesis,whereI will spearheadresearchaimedat uncovering novel insightsintocombatinghumandiseases

Asahigh school student at MVRHS,I had theopportunity towork ona groundbreakingscientificstudy examiningtick-bornepathogenson Martha?sVineyard Throughthisexperience,I fell inlovewiththeworld of scientificinquiry,frommy work at thelab benchtosharingfindingswiththe broader community.Thisformativeexperienceremainsakey sourceof motivationinmy career

TheMVYouthscholarshiphasplayed ahugeroleinsupportingmy development asascientist.Your belief inmy potential continuestoinspire metopushboundariesand pursueacareer whereI canmakeameaningful impact Thank you

MARISSA D'ANTONIO

BOSTON COLLEGE

It?sbeenabusy andexcitingyear,andI?mthrilledto sharesomebig updates! Onthework front,I?vecontinuedmy roleat CU Boulder asthe Financial SystemsCoordinator for ContinuingEducation.It?sbeena rewardingyear sofar,andI?mproudof theprogressI?vemadein streamliningprocessesand improvingefficiency acrossvariousaspectsof my role I?velearnedalot inthisposition andcontinuetobegrateful for the opportunity towork for suchagreat university

Ontheacademicfront,I?vemadesomeexcitingstridesaswell I?ve enrolledintheProfessional MBA programat CU Denver! I havecompleted twosemesterssofar,and havedecidedto pursueaconcentrationin Accounting.It?sbeenabit of achallengebalancingafull-timejob,school, andeverythingelse,but I?mexcitedto bepursuingthisnext chapter inmy educationand career It feelsgreat tobepushingmyself togrow and expandmy skills

Possiblythemost excitingupdateof themall ? I officially bought my first houseinLafayette,CO thisJuly! Theprocesswasabit of awhirlwind,but it feelsamazingtofinally haveaplacetocall my own I?mstill settlingin, tacklingsomehomeprojects,andgettingtoknow theneighborhood,but sofar,I lovethepeaceful vibeof Lafayettewhilestill beingso closeto everythinginBoulder and Denver

Withwhat littlefreetimeI have,I enjoy hikinginthemountainswith friends,discoveringnew trails,andspendingtimeinnature I havealso pickeduprunningthisyear,and haveregisteredfor twohalf marathonsin 2025 I will forever begrateful for MVYouthallowingmetoventureinto adult lifewithout student loansloomingover my head Thank you!

KATHELEEN DOSSANTOS

TONI AND GUY

HAIRDRESSING ACADEMY

Thisyear hasbeenasignificant journey of growthandaccomplishment for me At thestart of theyear,I wasworkingpart-timeasbothahairstylist andanassistant I lackedconfidenceand oftenfelt shy andnervous,unsure of my placeinthesalon world However,astimepassed,I begantofeel morecomfortableinmy role,andwitheachpassingday,my clientelegrew Seeingthejoy inmy clients?faceswhenthey left mademerealizeI was truly makingadifference Thispushedmetobecomemoreconfident inmy skills,and I startedofferingadditional services,suchascolor,highlights, styling,and evenchemical treatments

Whensummer arrived,it wasjust Maggieandmerunningtheshow.I transitionedto full-timestylist,takingonmoreclientsandhelpingout in thefront whenever I could Initially,I struggledtomanagethetime,but as thesummer progressed,I foundmy rhythm I quickly learnedtojuggle multipleappointmentsandkeepupwiththegrowingdemand This summer wasthebusiest I?veever been,but I wouldn? t changeathing Lookingback,I realizethat theyearsof trainingandmentorshipunder Maggiehadtruly preparedmefor thisfast-pacedseason

Reachingthispoint,whereI canmanageafull scheduleandfeel accomplishedat suchayoungage,hasbeenanincredibly fulfilling experience It?srewardingto know that I amachievingoneof my goals,and I?mgrateful for theopportunityto makeit happen I amalsodeeply thankful toMVYouthfor providingthesupport andresourcesthat opened thedoor for metopursuemy dream.Their assistancehasbeeninvaluable, andI look forwardtocontinuingmy journey inthisfield

LEE FARACA

CAL POLY

ANDRESGARCIA

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

I?mhappy toannouncethat I?mofficially alicensedprofessional civil engineer inthestateof California.Myareaof interest iswastewater treatment and reuse Given thewater crisisinCalifornia,therearemany opportunitiestohelpsupplement andreducewater demand Inpart of this,I left my jobinWalnut Creek inthefall andmovedback toSanLuis Obispo I switchedjobstoafirmthat hasmoreopportunitiestowork in recycledwater.Many of theprojectsI currently work onaretreating industrial or residential wastefromwineries,developments,and/or campgroundsand designingand helpingtopermit thetreated,recycled water,for irrigationpurposes GivenPasoRobles,theupand coming?new Napa?,thevineyardsareanideal recipient for recycledwater Whiledoing lessmunicipal work comparedtomy previousjob,it?sfuntowork on projectsthat makeadirect local impact Alsowhowouldn? t want tovisit beautiful wineriesaspart of their job?

Movingback toSanLuisObispohasbrought meout of thebigcity lifeand intoasmaller town Theclimateisconsistently 60-70 degrees,andI can trail runor play soccer almost any day of theyear Inaddition,it givesme theopportunity tolectureat Cal Poly,my almamater

Thank youMVYouthfor all youhavedone It?sfunreadingtheseannual reportsand seeingall theamazingimpactsand pathsof thebenefactors andrecipients

Thispast year hasbeenpivotal for my career growth.Duringmy Master?s semester at Cornell,I decidedtopursueabusinessdegreeto complement my long-termgoals I believed that consultingwould providevaluableskills that alignwell withanMBA Withmy job?sstart datelandinginJuly,I dedicatedthefirst half of theyear topreparingfor theGMATand submitting applications.I wasfortunatetogain admissiontotheBoothSchool of Businessat theUniversityof Chicago My planistospendthenext few years buildingmy businessintuitionat theBostonConsultingGroup(BCG)and pursuingmy MBA,ideally throughsponsorshipor afull scholarship

Thesecondhalf of theyear hasbeenequally rewarding I started at BCGin July andhavehad thechancetomeet incrediblepeoplewhilelearninga great deal about business My work hasbeenengagingandchallenging, exposingmetoavariety of industriesand topics Oneof thehighlightshas beenthestrongmentorshipcultureat BCG.Everyoneintheofficehasbeen approachableand supportive,providingguidanceasI navigatemy first year AsI approach my 6-monthreview,I?mexcitedtolearnwhereI can continue togrow

Inthecomingyears,I planto explorenew opportunities I?mapplyingfor an ethicsfellowshipinEuropeto studyleadershipwithother young professionals,andI?ll bereapplyingtobusinessschoolstobroadenmy options.I plantofocusonentrepreneurshipandget aconcurrent master?sin computer science.I?mexcitedabout what liesaheadand deeply grateful to thosewhohaveinvestedinmy journey,likeMVYouth Thesupport I received hasbeeninstrumental ingettingmetothispoint,and I look forward to seeingwheremy career takesme

JULIA GOMES

NEW ENGLAND HAIR ACADEMY

IMANI HALL

DUKEUNIVERSITY

Lifehasbeenawhirlwindof growthandgratitudelately! I?mnow inmy secondyear asanindependent stylist,rentingmy ownchair,and I can confidently say I amso blessed.BeingbasedinFalmouthhasbeenadream cometrue? most of my incredibleclientsmakethetripfromtheVineyard, whichstill amazesme Every day,I get toexpressmy creativitythrough serviceslikebarbing,customcoloring,dimensional blonding,andextensions Seeingmy clientsleavefeelingconfident and beautiful isthemost rewarding part of what I do.

Onapersonal note,I recently marriedtheloveof my life,aunionelectrician who?sassupportiveasthey come Hesharesmy dreamof openingmy own salononeday,andtogether,we?replanningfor that excitingfuture.It?sagoal that feelsmoreachievablewithhimby my side

WhenI?mnot behindthechair,you?ll usually findmerelaxingonthebeach withagood book inhand There?ssomethingabout theoceanair that keeps megroundedand remindsmeof growingupontheisland

Noneof thiswould?vebeenpossiblewithout thesupport I receivedfromMV Youth Their fundinghelpedkick-start my career,allowingmetoturnmy passionintoathrivingbusiness I think back to16-year-oldme,dreamingof a lifelikethis,andI?moverwhelmedwithgratitude.I?mlivingproof that hard work andalittlehelpcantruly makedreamsareality Here?stothenext chapter? bothinmy career and my life!

Thispast year hasbeenapivotal onefor me.I graduatedfromDuke Universitywithdistinction,completingathesistitled?GenerationofNuclear LocalizedRabiesVirusforDissectionofAdultCorticalCircuits?Inadditiontomy major inneuroscience,I earned aminor inpsychology and acertificatein childpolicy research My timeat Dukewasincredibly fulfilling,andwhile leavingwasbittersweet,I?mexcitedby thedirectionmy lifeisheadingnow.

Currently,I work at Benchling,abiotechcompany inBoston,whereI?m gaininghands-onexperienceat theintersectionof technology andscientific research.I?malsovolunteeringat BostonChildren?sHospital inthe emergency room,whichhasgivenmeadeeper appreciationfor healthcare andtheimportanceof compassionateservice

Lookingahead,I?mstill intheprocessof determiningmy next steps I?m consideringpursuingaPhD,medical school,or potentially anMBA My interestsinscience,helpingpeople,andexploringnew fieldscontinueto guidemy decisions I?mexcitedtokeepexploringthepathsthat best align withmy skillsand passions.

LENA HANSCHKA

COLBY COLLEGE

2024 brought muchchangeand transitioninmy life I begantheyear in Colchester,Vermont workingat ChamplainCommunity ServicesasaService Coordinator for adultswithintellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD)and autism.I grew significantly moreconfident inmy rolethereand developeddeeper relationshipswithmy clientsandtheir families,helping themtonavigatethecomplex systemof fundingthat ultimately paysfor their servicesanddaily needs I foundthiswork deeply rewarding,although quitechallengingat timesduetothedisconnect betweenthelegislative framework that governsstateandfederally fundednon-profitsandthedaily realitiesfor thepeopleand familiesweserved

InMay,I madethedifficult decisiontoleavemy jobinVermont and move back toMartha?sVineyardinlargepart tosupport my grandmother asshe enteredintoHospicecare Movingback totheislandbrought many challenges,but hasultimately proventobethebest choicefor meand my family It hasfelt incredibly groundingtobelivingontheislandagainand surroundedby aclose-knit community.

Thisfall,I beganworkingat theIslandAutismCenter,makinguseof my degreeinanthropology fromColbyCollege,aswell asmy work experience fromChamplainCommunity Services.

I amvery excitedtoseehow that organizationcontinuestogrow and provide muchneededservicesto autisticindividualsand their familiesonMartha?s Vineyard I havealsobeenworkingat Ghost Island Farmintheir farmstand, aplacethat istruly dedicatedto providingtheyear-round islandcommunity withaccessibleand sustainableproduceand other groceries

Thank youtoMVYouthfor their generoussupport of islandstudentsandthe many organizationsthey fund Theislandisabetter placefor it!

SAMANTHA HARGY

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSTY

2024 wasanexcitingand challengingyear! After 8 monthsworkingfor the MexicoInstituteat theWoodrow WilsonCenter,I learnedthat perhapsa jobininternational affairswasnot theright fit It only took abachelor?s andmaster?sdegreetofigurethat out! Inearly 2024,I beganapplyingfar andwidetonew jobs,includingoutsidetheinternational affairsindustry. Fallingback onmy many yearsspent workingat theEdgartownYacht Club over thesummers,inApril I acceptedanew positionasMember Experience& CommunicationsDirector at WestwoodCountry Clubin Vienna,VA I amsohappy I madethechange!

Astheheadof my department,I amresponsiblefor all Club communicationsand social media,therecruitment and retainment of Members,andcoordinationof themembershipapplicationprocess The hospitality industry hasalwaysbeenmy comfort place,and it welcomed meback withopenarms! TheMembersand Staff at Westwoodmakeevery day enjoyable,and witha7-year membershipwaitlist thereisalways somethingtodo! I recently joinedtheClubManagement Associationof America(CMAA),whichprovidescertificationcoursestosupport my futureintheprivateclubindustry.I?mexcitedfor all theopportunitiesthis new lineof workspresents!

Onamorepersonal note,inMay I got engagedto my wonderful fiancé LukeWheeler! LukeandI recently movedtoAlexandria,VA,wherewe?re enjoyinglifeinthesuburbsjust outsideof Washington,DC We?reset to be marriedonOctober 18th,2025,onMartha?sVineyard It will bemy parents?30thweddinganniversary

Thank youall for your support of MVYouth! I enjoy writingtheseupdates eachyear andseeingwheremy fellow recipientshaveadventuredtosince graduating Haveawonderful 2025!

JACK HOLMES

BROWN UNIVERSITY

DANIELLE HOPKINS

BARNARD COLLEGE

Congratulationstothegraduatingclassof 2024! Wedidit! After four incredibleyears,we?vefinished our undergraduateeducation.It all went by sofast that I still struggletoreflect onit,even monthsafterward During thistime,I?vebeentakingabreak fromschool topursueintereststhat beingafull-timestudent had precluded Without thetimeconstraintsof college,I?vebeenabletosavemoney andtravel! Sincelast May,I?vegoneto NorthernEurope,touringtheNordicregionwithfriendsfromcollege,and eventakenamonth-longtriptoJapan? somethingI had alwayswantedto do I?vealsostartedplayingbassinthebandDock Street,madeupof me andthreeother guysfromtheisland It?sbeensoenergizingtoget back into music,asthiswasoneof my passionsthat took abackseat duringmy timein college I?vealwaysconsideredmakingmusicwithfriendstobeoneof the most rewardingand fulfillingpursuits,soI?mgrateful to havethis opportunity toplay inabandagain

WhileI?veenjoyedmy timeaway fromschool,I?vealwaysbeenthinking about thenext stepinmy education I lovelearning,andalthoughthe potential to learnisalwaysaroundus,nomatter theenvironment,I think I want topursuemy interestswithinthestructureof graduateschool Oneof themost valuablethingsI?vedonesincefinishingmy undergraduatedegree isspeak to professionalsindifferent fields I?mexploringdifferent options for graduateschool,and theseconversationshavegivenmevaluable insight intopotential career pathsandacademicprograms By takingthis timeto talk withpeopleand domy ownresearch,I hopetoenter graduate school withaclear directionand goal inmind Inthemeantime,I planto keepplayingbassandlearningabout theworldoutsidetheclassroom

2024 wasanexcitingyear! I spent my secondsemester of 1Lcompetingin amock trial competitionwiththeNational Black Law Students Association,wheremy teamof all first yearsplacedsecondintheregional competition andfourthinthenational one! It wassuchagreat experience and really affirmedthat I want todotrial advocacy I spent my summer in Atlanta,GeorgiawhereI internedat theSouthernCenter for Human Rights.I absolutely lovedthecity andit wassuchaprivilegetowork with anorganizationthat hasbeendoingincrediblework to combat thedeath penalty,excessivesentencingandprisonconditionsinthesouthfor decades I actually wastaught by oneof theSouthernCenter?smost prominent directors,StephenBright,duringthespringaswell whenI took hiscourse,Capital Punishment:Race,Poverty & Disadvantage.WhenI returnedto New HavenI movedtoadifferent part of thecity whereI am lovingmy new neighborhoodthoughit isabit farther fromthelaw school

My secondyear of law school hasbeenalot of work but it hasbeenvery rewarding.Duringthesummer inadditiontoworkingat theSouthern Center I alsodidwork for aclinicI wouldjoininthefall,theEnvironmental JusticeLaw and Advocacy Clinic Mysummer work ledtomearguingin FresnoSuperior Court inoppositionfor amotionfor summary adjudicationduringonly my secondweek of classeslast fall! It wasa surreal experienceandonethat I will cherishfor therest of my legal career Myclinicwork kept mevery busy thislast semester However I also foundtimetobetheSecretary of theYaleBlack Law StudentsAssociation, work asarepfor alegal searchengineLexis,andcontinuemy positionasa researchassistant for DeborahArcher at NYU

Headingintothisspringsemester knowingI amnow morethanhalfway donewithlaw school isalmost unimaginable I feel likeit wasjust yesterday I wasgraduatingfromMVRHSand headingtoBarnardCollege I amso grateful for thesupport and opportunitiesMVYouthprovidedme throughout my 4 yearsof undergradand beyondthat havegottenmeto thispoint Thank youMVYouth!

LOUISE MACDONALD

NEW

YORK UNIVERSITY

CASEY MCANDREWS

2024 wasapivotal year for me I successfullycompleted my first year asa full-timeassociateat anasset management firminNew York,passed several SECexams,andgained confidencenavigatingthepost-graduate world.Noneof thiswould havebeenpossiblewithout theunwavering support and guidancefromMVYouth.

Althoughit hasbeenmorethanfiveyearssinceI receivedmy scholarship fromMVYouth,my determinationtoachieveambitiousgoalsand dream beyondwhat seemsimaginableremainssteadfast Over thepast year, outsideof work,I dedicatedtimeto studyingfor financeexams,analyzing market trends,and deepeningmy understandingof theeconomic environment Theseeffortswereaimedat helpingover 40 institutional investorsallocatecapital effectively andachievesuccessful outcomes.

I alsocollaboratedclosely withportfoliomanagersto strengthen relationshipsbothexternally andinternally withinmy firm.I ledinternal meetings,introducingvariousmacrostrategiestoeducate20+colleagues onemergingtrendsexpectedinthenear term Recently,I transitioned fromasset management to aglobal multi-strategy hedgefund,whereI now leadtwoteamsfocused onREITsand financials My roleinvolves overseeingresearch,assistingwithtrading,and facilitatingcommunication betweenteamsandstakeholders.

I canconfidently say that my achievements,lessons,andrelationshipsbuilt over thepast year wouldnot havebeenpossiblewithout MVYouth'sbelief inmeback in2019 Goingthroughtheinterview process,meetingthe founders,andembracingtheunknown shapedtraitsthat I carry withme every day I amproudtobepart of suchanincredibleorganizationandlook forwardtofurther contributingtoitsmissioninthefuture

Thepast year hasbeenfull of new challengesandlearningopportunities. TobringintheNew Year,twoclassmatesand I organizedaseminar for UNECOM studentsonfirearmharmreduction,asfirearminjuriesarethe leadingcauseof death for childrenintheUnitedStates Thissparked a passionfor advocacy ingunviolenceprevention,leadingtoapartnership withMomsDemand Action,whoinvitedmetospeak at theMaineState Housefor their annual advocacy day.

Aspart of theREGMSprogram,I presented my researchat ENDO 2024 in Bostonand connectedwithother studentsfromacrossthecountry.As District Representativefor theAmericanAcademy of Pediatrics(AAP) SectiononPediatricTrainees(SOPT),I met other SOPTleadersand traineesat theAAPNational Conferenceto collaborateonwaystoget medical studentsinvolvedinpediatricsand advocacyfor childhealth

InJuly,I started my thirdyear of medical school,whichmeansweareno longer learningintheclassroombut insteadonthehospital floorsthrough our clinical rotations! Tokick it off,I spent 6 weeksasaNeuroanatomy TeachingAssistant whereI taught second-year studentstheir neurology andneuroanatomy curriculuminsmall groups Sincethen,I havebeen rotatingthroughvarioushospitalsand clinicsinRhodeIslandlearning about thedifferent fieldsof medicine,how toevaluatepatientsand create atreatment plan,andeven how toperformmedical procedures Amongall of this,my favoritepart hasbeengettingtointeract withpatientsand support themthroughtheir most vulnerabletimes

Astheyear windsdown,I amgettingready toapply for aresidency in Pediatricsthisupcomingfall and couldnot bemoreexcited Thank youto MVYouthfor makingall of thispossible!

HAMILTON COLLEGE

EVELYN MEDEIROS

MASSACHUSETTSCOLLEGEOF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCEUNIVERSITY

Thispast year I havebeensofortunatetocontinueworkingonan endoscopyunit that continuestochallengemeandfurther developmy nursingskills Withtheencouragement of my manager,I decidedtosit for theexamtobecomeaboardcertified medical surgical nurse I was honoredtobeaccreditedby theboardtoprovemy experienceand expertiseinnursing.

Inadditiontobecomingcertified,I hadmadeit agoal thisyear topractice my Spanish,and I now feel muchmoreconfident conversingwiththe largeSpanishspeakingpopulationthat I carefor.Thisnot only allowsme totakebetter careof my patients,but helpsto buildtrust andcomfort withtheminaway that I wasnot abletobefore

Outsideof work,I enjoy spendingtimewithmy dogand exploringnew placeswithmy partner I havemadeaneffort tobetter my work-life balanceand truly enjoy my timeoutsideof thehospital Beinga healthcareprofessional that hasseenhow cruel theworld canbe,I have foundit important to really appreciatemy timeaway fromthebedside.

I feel truly blessed tohavefoundaunit that hashelped megrow asa healthcareprofessional,but alsoasaperson.For that,I want tothank MV Youthonceagain,becausewithout you,it maynot havebeenpossible.I look forwardto seeingwhat thenext year hasinstorefor me I amexcited tocontinueto learnandimprove

After four yearsof hardwork,I?mproudtosharethat I?vegraduated Walkingacrossthestagethispast Maywasamoment of immensepride andgratitude.I felt proudtojointheranksof HowardUniversityalumni infront of my friendsandfamily,anddeeply grateful for everyonewho helpedmereachthismilestone

Over thesummer,I worked asayouthdevelopment professional at the Martha?sVineyardBoysand GirlsClub,aplacethat hasshaped me profoundly Withthesepast sevensummers,I?vemet andlearned fromso many amazingpeople,and together,eachsummer,wegavekidsasafe andenrichingspacetogrow My experienceat theMVBGCtaught me how tolook beyond myself andrecognizetheimportanceof contributing positively tothecommunity I look back onmy timeat MVBGCwith fondnessand appreciationfor theroleit playedinmy life I?mexcited about theamazingupcomingchangeshappeningthere,and look forward toseeingitscontinued impact

Currently,I?mworkingasaFamily Support Worker withtheIslandWide YouthCollaborative,part of Martha?sVineyardCommunity Services In thisrole,I connect individualsand familieswithessential resourceslike housing,healthcare,employment,education,andother community supports ThoughI?veonly beenhereafew months,I?mincredibly grateful for my team,who haveguidedandsupportedmeasI transitionfrom beingastudent toafull-timeprofessional Their mentorshiphaseased any uncertaintyI had about startingmy career,and I genuinely look forwardtogoingto work eachday.

Evenafter finishingmy undergraduatedegree,I findmyself learningand growingdaily.I?mexcitedtoseewherethisjourney takesmenext.I hope tocontinuepayingforwardthesupport that MVYouthhasgivenme

Fromthebottomof my heart,thank youMVYouth,for supportingme every stepof theway

MADELEINE MOORE

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

In2024,I successfullyunionized my former workplacewithmy coworkers! Thishasbeenoneof my proudest career achievementsandtheresult of over ayear of buildingrelationshipsandtrust witheveryoneacrossmy company Asof now,they arestill inbargainingand I amhopeful they will haveanew contract soon! Additionally,after nearly threeyearsat my former job,I washiredat theDemocraticCongressional Campaign Committeeastheir Digital CampaignsManager Inthisrole,I wasableto managestaff and raisedover $16 millionfor fifteenincumbent and challenger US Housecandidates Whilewesaw somelossesonElection Night,wealsosaw somemajor winsandflippedseveral Houseseatsin CaliforniaandNew York I look forward toworkingat theDCCCthis comingyear and hopetowork towardsabetter ElectionNight in2026

Thisyear I alsosaw my brother,Huck,theyoungest of all my siblings, graduatehighschool.Heisnow attendingYaleUniversity alongsidemy sister,Ingrid,whilemy other sister Isabel,isnow aTeacher'sAssistant at theWest Tisbury School Since2011,therehasbeenaMooresiblingat MVRHSsoit feelsvery bittersweet now that weareall graduatedand off onour ownadventures I felt very lucky I wasabletocomeback tothe island twicethisSummer and I hopetobeback morefrequently thenext. Every timeI comehomeI amremindedof what aspecial and uniqueplace Martha'sVineyardisand every timeI leaveI amthinkingof my next trip back Aseveryoneinmy family embarksontheir ownpath,thosetimesat hometogether areeven morespecial and I feel truly grateful for thetime wehavewitheachother ontheisland

ANNIE OLLEN BARNARD COLLEGE

2024 wasanexcitingyear of new opportunitiesand growthonthe Vineyard! I continuetowork at theWest Tisbury School asamath specialist helpingstudentsinthemiddleschool tomeet their specificmath goals Eachday isdynamic,asmy roleisconstantly evolvingtomeet the needsof theindividual studentsthat I work with Thisfall,I alsostarted my Master?sinEducationprogramat Merrimack CollegewhereI amtaking classesonline.Takingclasseswhileworkingfull timewascertainly an adjustment,but it wasgreat toget back intotheclassroomand continueto developmy skillsasaneducator

Inadditiontocoachingmiddleschool volleyball inthespring,I alsostarted coachinggirlssoccer at thehighschool thisfall It wasexcitingtoget back out onthefield that I spent so many yearsonwhenI wasastudent there, and continuetobeinvolved intheislandcommunity

Finally,thisfall markedmy first full year workingontheAdvisory Board for MVYouth I amgrateful for thisopportunity tobeinvolvedinsuchan incredibleorganizationthat gavesomuch tomeasastudent; Tonow be sittingontheother sideof theinterview tableisanhonor that I donot take lightly Thenext generationof islandstudentsisincredibly talentedand motivated,and it?sagreat feelingtoseethesamepromiseinthemthat was seen inmewhenI receivedmy scholarshipin2015 MVYouth givesso much tothisislandcommunity,andI amsothankful tobeapart of it!

CHARLES PARKHURST

UCLA

I?mgladto sharethat thepast year hasbeenanincredibly productive one! Themost significant development isthat inMay of last year,I began my studiesat theCornell SCJohnsonCollegeof Business,pursuinga Master of ScienceinBusinessAnalyticswithaconcentrationinfinance Theprogramisprimarily completedonline,but last June,I spent aweek on-campusinIthacatokick off thedegreeand will returnfor another in-personsessionthiscomingAugust to concludetheprogram.

I?vetruly enjoyedmy classesso far andamvery happy withmy decisionto pursuethisdegree.Theprogramisauniquebalancebetweendata analyticsandbusiness,offeringcoursesinsubjectslikeaccounting, financial modeling,microeconomics,and marketing,alongsidetrainingin programminglanguageslikeSQLandPythonand datavisualizationtools suchasTableau For theremainder of theprogram,akey focuswill beon machinelearningandartificial intelligence.Whilemanagingthedegree alongsidefull-timework hasmadefor abusy schedule,it hasalsobeen deeply rewarding,asI seemuch practical valueineverythingI?velearned so far

I?vecontinued livinginMiami,Florida,whileworkingasanInvestment DataAnalyst at AlTi TiedemannGlobal However,thiscontract position is now comingtoanend,andI?vejust startedthesearchfor my next opportunity I?meager to apply theskillsI?mgainingingraduateschool to further advancemy career.

Finally,I want to expressmy gratitudetoMVYouthfor providingthe launchpadfor my educational journey nearly adecadeago.Without the incrediblesupport of thisorganization,I may not havehadthechanceto pursuethisdegreetoday

PAULO PEREIRA

UMASS,AMHERST

Thispast year hasemulatedsimilar themestothoseof thepreviousyear, witheachday bringinganew learningexperiencebothprofessionally and personally I?vebeenat MorganStanley for slightlyover threeyearsand havelearnedalot sincejoiningthefirminlate2021 whileworking alongsideincredibly smart andambitiouspeople I?veworkedonavariety of dealsinvolvingasset-backedsecurities,capital marketsproductssuch asinitial publicofferingsanddebt financings,aswell asmergers& acquisitions,tonameafew I findthedealsrelatedtomergers& acquisitionsinterestingasthesetend tobetransformativefor the acquirer and/or thetarget company beingacquired At thesametime,I find myself gravitatingtowardsand askingmorequestionsabout the investingprocessonthebuy-sideinfieldssuchasprivateequity,venture capital,andhedgefunds,whichisfascinatingtomeandsomethingI hope to explorefurther

AsI reflect onthepast year,I can? t helpbut think about how instrumental MVYouth wasinenablingmetoget towhereI amtoday Thank you MVYouth for makingsuchadifferenceintheislandcommunity aswell as inthefamiliesof thoseyouall havesupportedover theyears,including myself andmy family!

JACKSON PIZZANO

UMASS,STOCKBRIDGE

SPENCER POGUE

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Thispast year hasbeenavery funand excitingtimefor me,I have continued toliveandwork ontheVineyardtryingtomakemy way inthe Treeindustry I acquired my owninsuranceand havebeentryingtodoa bit of my ownjobsonthesideaswell ascontinuingwork for thelocal company Tabor Tree My bossandowner of Tabor,Riley Dobel hasbeen very generoustolet meusesomeof hisequipment todothesejobswhich hasbeenvery helpful astreework canrequirealot of toolsand machines tobedonesafely andefficiently It hasbeenfunand challenginglearning tobidjobsonmy owntryingtomakesureI givetheclient agood deal as well asnot short sellingmy ownskill andproduction I havelearnedalot doingthisand continuetolearnmoreeveryday Asidefromwork many of my friendsarewrappinguptheir collegecareersand it'sbeennicetobe abletospendmoretimewiththemasmany of themareback onthe islandfull time.A groupof usdoestriviaonceaweek whichisaniceway tosplit theweek upand not get tooboredinthelongislandwinter I continuetoplay hockey onceor twiceaweek inthelocal leagueandthe pondshavebeenfrozensopond hockey hasbeenaregular occurrenceon theweekends I would liketothank MVYouth for all thehelpthey have providedmeover theyears,I would not bewhereI amtoday without the generousdonationsfromall thedonorsmakingeverythingpossiblefor meandtheother recipients I will alwaysremember thetimeI spent in collegeandthepeoplewhomadeit all possible

It feelsstrangeto bewritingthesereportsnow asagraduate,and thoughmany thingsinmy lifehavechangedsinceI finishedmy degree at ColumbiaUniversity last Spring,I amsograteful tohaveended up whereI amtoday After graduating,I accepted apositionasaStaff ResearchAssociateinthelaboratoryof Dr Betsy Crouchat UCSF?s Instituteof RegenerativeMedicineinSanFrancisco TheCrouchLab investigatesbloodvessel development inthehumanbrain,withthe ultimategoal of creatingnovel technologiesand therapeuticstotreat brainhemorrhagesinneonatal andpediatricpatients.I wasnervousat first about joiningabiology labbecauseI worriedthat I lacked experiencewiththeresearchtechniquesthat they used,but I quickly adapted,andI havegained anastonishingamount of knowledgeinmy first sixmonthsof work:so far,I haveimprovedmy immunohistochemistry skills,learnedtoconduct experimentsusing flow cytometry and FACS,grownneural spheroidsfromprimary tissue (whichhopefully will someday beableto incorporatevasculature)and conductedsingle-cell RNA sequencinganalysisonvariouspatient samplesinorder to identifygeneexpressionpatternsthat influence fetal neurovascular development duringthesecondand third trimesters.ThementorshipI havereceivedfrommy bossandlabmates hasbeenoutstandingthusfar Despitetheoccasional latenightsspent runningexperiments,I havegreatly enjoyedthecamaraderieand support of workinginalabenvironment Asfor thecity,I havealways lovedSanFranciscowhencomingtovisit family,soI wasexcitedby the opportunity tomovehereafter graduating.I havebeenspendinglotsof timeoutdoors,mainly goingfor runs,playingtennis,or readinginall of thegreat parksthecity hastooffer,and I amstartingto get usedto? and appreciate? thefogthat SanFranciscoisknownfor My hopefor thefutureistoapply toPhD programsinDevelopmental Biologyor Biomedical Engineering,withthegoal of enteringaprogramintheFall of 2026 Thank youtoMVYouth for all that youhaveprovidedme,andI cannot think of enoughwordstoexpressmy gratitudefor helpingmeto turnmy aspirationsintoreality

ALEXANDRA REGO

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

InJune2024,I graduatedcumlaudefromDartmouthCollegewitha degreeinGeography andGovernment I lovenavigatingpostgraduate life,but I domissbeingastudent Every sooften,I?ll dreamthat I?vegot anupcomingessay deadlinethat slipped my mind?

Thepast sevenmonthshaveconsisted of lotsof randomness:I have worked four different jobsontheisland(stopby ArtCliff Diner this summer andsay hello!);I briefly movedtoNew York after aninspiring experienceat New York ClimateWeek;and right now I writethis updateonavery bouncy busasI solobackpack Colombiaand Ecuador Whilestill inthethroesof theinfamouspostgraduatejobsearch,I trust that my career trajectorywill manifest theway it ought to I am currently managingtheimpact campaignfor adocumentary short about RobinsonCrusoeIsland,oneof themost biodiverseplacesinthe world ThefilmistitledSi laislaquiere(?IslandWilling?) Stay tunedfor screeningsonMartha?sVineyardthissummer! Otherwise,I amstill on theprowl for grassroots-level work intheclimate/environmental sector Shouldyouthink of anything,I?malwayslooking!

Andasalways,thank you Martha?sVineyardhasbeentheinspiration for all my life?sendeavors:whereI went toschool,what I studied,what I ampursuingasacareer,andso on.Thisscholarshiphasmeant moreto methanwordscandescribe All my best always

STEPHANY RIBEIRO

SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIREUNIVERSITY

Thispast year hasbeenanincrediblejourney! I graduatedinMay with aBachelor of ArtsinPsychology fromSouthernNew Hampshire University (SNHU),anaccomplishment that hasfilledmewithpride and excitement for thefuture Asanonlinestudent,I embracedthe flexibility anddedicatedmyself fully tolearning,takingadvantageof every opportunityto absorbknowledgeandgrow academically.My coursework,particularly classeslikeCounselingProceduresand Techniques,deepenedmy understandingof therapeuticpracticesand further ignitedmy passionfor mental healthcounseling

Whilepursuingmy degree,I worked at IslandCounselingCenter (ICC) under Martha?sVineyardCommunity Services(MVCS),whereI gained invaluablehands-onexperienceinaclinical setting.My roleasan administrativeassistant andinterpreter for BrazilianPortuguese providedmewithinsight intotheinner workingsof mental health services I assisted clientswithscheduling,collaboratedwithclinicians, and supportedtheoutreachand triageprocess,sharpeningmy organizational andinterpersonal skills.Asaninterpreter,I bridgedthe gapbetweenclientsand clinicians,observingfirsthandthe transformativepower of therapy

Thisscholarshipplayed apivotal roleinmakingmy dreamsareality, and I amsograteful for thesupport Balancingwork,studies,and family life(I becameamomthisyear!)wasnosmall feat,but SNHU?s supportiveenvironment helpedmethrive My educationhasnot only preparedmeacademically but hasalsogivenmetheconfidenceto pursuemy goal of becomingalicensedmental healthcounselor. AsI preparefor thenext stepsinmy educational journey,I look back on thisyear withimmensegratitudeand look forwardto continuingto servemy community and makeadifferenceinthemental healthfield.

MEGHAN SAWYER

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

My 2024 hasbeenayear full of changeandgrowth I?vebeenlivingin Bostonfor thepast twoyears,but inJuly I movedout of my first apartment and relocatedtoQuincy,MA,settlingintoabeautiful apartment onthewater It?sbeenanexcitingtransitionthat hasallowed metoenjoy boththepeacefulnessof theharbor andthevibrancy of city life I?veenjoyed exploringQuincy by findingnew restaurantsand cafesto try,and I enjoy thesuburbanfeel whilebeingincloseproximity toBoston.

Ontheprofessional side,my companyunderwent amajor transformation thisyear,mergingwithEisner Amper,alarger CPA firmwithoffices nationwide.Thismerger opensupincredibleopportunitiesfor career growth,and I?mlookingforwardtoexploringnew pathswithinthefirm AsaSenior Associate,I?vealsotakenontherewardingroleof beinga performanceand career coachfor threestaff members Guidingtheir development hasnot only beenfulfillingbut hasalsohelpedmegain valuablemanagerial experience.

Thisfall,I enjoyedtravelingtonew places,includingmy first tripto ChicagoinOctober and avisit toNew York Citylater intheseason. Outsideof work,I?vebeenhavingfunwithfriends,exploringthecity,and attendingconcerts,sportingevents,and comedy shows

I?mdeeply thankful for thesupport of MVYouth,andit?sincredibleto bea part of suchanamazingorganization I can? t wait toseewhat 2025 hasin store!

EMMA SEARLE

BOSTON COLLEGE

It?shardtobelievethat almost twoyearshavepassedsinceI graduated fromBC.Over thepast year,I?vecontinuedto grow intomy lifeand work inNew York I?vebeenthoroughly enjoyingmy work asaCapital Markets Paralegal at Cadwalader,whereI?mcontinuouslychallengedand encouragedtogrow professionally I?vecontinuedtowork primarily on CMBStransactionsandhavealsojoinedoneof theFirm?sprobonoteams Together withanother paralegal andagroupof attorneys,I?vehadthe privilegeof helpingnon-profit organizationsestablish their organizational structureand achievetax-exempt statusthroughtheIRS?s Form1023 InmovingthroughtheFirm?stwo-year program,I?veworked anddevelopedrelationshipswithattorneyswhoseskillsand work ethicI hopetoexemplify myself oneday.I?mregularly reaffirmed of my decision topursuealegal educationandwill carry many of thelessonsI have learnedat thefirmwithmethroughlaw school and beyond Thispast fall I appliedto law schoolsacrosstheeast coast,andI look forwardtohearing back throughout thespringwiththeintentionof enrollinginthefall of 2025 It isnever lost onmethat noneof thiswould bepossiblewithout theunmatchedsupport and generosity of MVYouth.Your work is essential totheIslandcommunity,andfor that I amforever grateful Thank you

MEGHAN SONIA

ANNA MARIA COLLEGE

RUDY VECCHIA-ZEITZ

NEW

YORK UNIVERSITY

Another amazingyear toreflect on! Thisyear hasbeenoneof my biggest adjustments,but hasproventobevery rewarding.I movedto Bostonand started my first official nursingjob,settlingintomy career asaregistered nurseat Brighamand Women?shospital ontheir Neurosciencestepdown floor Throughthisexperience,I havebeenabletodevelopmy ownroutine asanurseandsettleintomy practice Thisgivesmesuchasenseof accomplishment becauseI just continuetoreflect onall of thehardwork andsleeplessnightsthat it took for metoget towhereI am.My hardwork got rewardedby beinghonoredwithtwoDaisy AwardsfrompatientsI havehelped SinceI amalsonow acity girl,I havetriedtoenjoy every aspect of livinginacity I havebeenmakinglotsof friends,exploringall the different restaurants,andjust takinginthebeautiful viewsthat Bostonhas tooffer.I alsonoticed that avery commonnext stepwhilelivinginthecity wastoget adog SoI havespent most of my timetrainingmy new AustralianShepherdpuppy,Bean

I continuetolook forward tomy next year asanurseinabeautiful city I hopetodoafew different continuouseducationcoursesthat areoffered at our hospital so I canwork onbetteringmy practice I amforever grateful toMVYouthand itsdonorsfor allowingmetohavetheseopportunities I would not bewhereI amtoday without their gracioussupport

Over thelast year I haveworked asapreventioneducator at thenonprofit, Resilience,inChicago,providingchildsexual abusepreventioneducation toyouth,adolescents,teachers,caregiversandadult serviceprofessionals My work continuestochallengemeinsideandoutsideof theworkplace, andI amthankful to MVYouthfor theroleit?splayed ingettingmeto whereI amtoday I lovelivinginChicago,andwill begoingon3 yearsof livingtherethisSpring.I amgrateful tomy community near andfar for supportingmeasI embracemy authenticself

GALYA WALT

TUFTSUNIVERSITY

Thispast year hasincludedmany excitingnew beginningsandtransitions! I completed my master?sinpublichealthat Harvardinthespringandspent thesummer visitingfriendsinNew Englandand enjoyingsometimeonthe island withmy family.Thispast fall,I movedtoProvidencetostart aPhD programat theBrownUniversity School of PublicHealthintheBehavioral and Social Sciencesdepartment Over thepast few months,I haveloved my coursesinquantitativeandqualitativeresearchmethodsaswell asmy research work outsideof classfocusingonharmreductionapproachesfor pregnant andparentingpeoplelivingwithasubstanceusedisorder.Rhode Island isareally excitingplacetobelearningabout harmreduction since they just becamethefirst statetoopenastatesanctionedoverdose preventioncenter I?vetriedtoshow uptoasmany talksandstate workgroupmeetingsaspossibleto learnabout all theincredibleharm reduction andoverdosepreventionwork goingoninthestate.

I havebeenso grateful tobesogenerously welcomingintoProvidence?s close-knit community,and withinjust thepast few monthsI now find myself walkingaroundmy neighbor andinevitably bumpingintofamiliar facesandfriends Thesmall community feelingremindsmeof home,andI lovefeelingmoreand moreconnectedtomy neighbors I amalsolucky to belivingwithoneof my best friendsfromgrowingupontheisland,and sharinganother hometogether hasbeenincredibly meaningful Outsideof classes,I havelovedbikingontheEast Bay BikePath,walksonRhode Island?sbeachesandenjoyingthedeliciousfoodProvidencehastooffer! I amsograteful toall that MVYouthhasdonetosupport megettingtothis point and toall theamazingwork they continuetodoontheisland Thank you,and wishingeveryoneawonderful 2025!

LIAM WEILAND

BERKLEECOLLEGEOF MUSIC

2024 wasabusy year for me I amstill workingat LarrabeeStudiosin NorthHollywoodCaliforniaasoneof their on-call recordingengineersand full-timeassistant engineer.Theyear wasablur of workingonvarious projectsand sessions I hadofficial engineer creditscomeout withPharrell Williams,Miley Cyrus,Roddy Ricch,andTerraceMartin I workedwith dozensof artistsonmusicthat isscheduledtobereleasedthroughout 2025 Thefirst couplemonthsof 2024 werespent withRoddy Ricch?s teamworkingonhisalbumthat isscheduledtocomeout inearly 2025. Thesecondhalf of thissummer wasspent workingwithaKoreanmusic copyright tradingplatformcalledMusicow astheir headengineer We tracked dozensof songswhichwill bewhittleddowntocreatetheir first company funded EP I spent weeksinSeptember and October working withtheartist Christone?Kingfish?Ingramasheadengineer recordingthe songsfor hisEPset toreleasein2025

I spent alot of timeproducingoriginal musicwithartiststhisyear aswell.I had sevensinglesI producedreleasein2024,withartistsLali Bi Baby, Laceup,andRyan Vo Wehavemany other releasesscheduledfor 2025 2024 wasanincredibly productiveyear andI feel asif I?vebeenbuildingup momentumfor 2025 tobemy busiest and most productiveyear yet I am excitedto seewhat further updatesI?ll havetosharethistimenext year Thank youMVYouth for beingthecatalyst to set meonthejourney I am currently on I amforever grateful

LINDSEY SCOTT