We are honored to recognize 271 students who received awards this year! They come from towns and cities across our region and embody talent, ambition, and purpose. Scholarships do more than bridge financial gaps—they send a powerful message: your community sees you, believes in you, and is invested in your future. Each recipient reminds us why this work matters. Meet five of our 2025 winners:
Student Spotlights
REN BABCOCK of Pine Plains, NY, won the Northeast Dutchess Scholarship and is attending Vassar College. Her professional and educational goals include becoming a script writer for TV and film, and earning a B.A. in Film with additional studies in creative writing and Women’s Studies. School Activities: Class Treasurer; Student Council Treasurer; VP of Sci-Fi Club; Co-Editor in Chief of Literary magazine; National Honor Society Co-Chair, Period Poverty Committee; Math Honors Society; Student Activism Team Secretary. Other activities: NECC Intern at Oblong Books; Lead Editor, People of Pine Plains. First and Second Place awards in the Pine Plains Library Writing Contest in the short story, poetry, and creative non-fiction categories. Volunteer work: Leader, Pine Plains Library Giving Box for Willow Roots, an organization dedicated to eliminating hunger in Pine Plains; Chair of Girl Scouts Charity Event Committee; Community Connections Through Art and Literature.
HALIMAH HOTBANI of Hudson, N.Y., is the winner of the Emma M. Kirchhofer Scholarship and is attending Cornell University. Her professional and educational goals include becoming a pediatric dentist, a B.A. in Biological Sciences or Biochemistry, and to advocate for equitable healthcare access. School activities included: National Honor Society; VP and Secretary, Multicultural Club; Class Secretary; Varsity Club President; Student Council; Model UN; Hudson Muslim Youth. Other Activities: Black History Month Tribute; Hispanic Heritage Dinner; International Festival; Ramadan Fast-a-Thon; American Red Cross Blood Drives. Internships: Dell Student Tech Crew, Google Help Desk Student and Certified Technician, AIS Math 8 Tutor. Awards & Honors: Univ. of Rochester Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award; RIT Women in STEM Award; UAlbany Multicultural High School Scholars Award; Scholar-Athlete Award; Spencertown Academy Writer’s Contest, 3rd Place; Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence Nominee. Volunteer Work: Hudson Humane Society, animal shelters, Hudson Area Library and the Hudson Jazz Festival.
LOU WILDER HAEMMERLE from Salisbury, Conn., won the Ben Paley Scholarship and is attending New York University. Her professional and educational goals include training as a musician and vocalist, becoming a music producer and sponsor of emerging artists, and earning a B.A. from NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Tisch School of the Arts. School Activities: National Honor Society; Housatonic Musical Theatre Society, Sound Technician; Yearbook Editor, Graphic Designer, Journalist, Sales Manager; Varsity Soccer Captain. Other Activities: Lead singer/guitarist in “Kate from Baltimore”; Ski & Snowboard Instructor, Butternut. Awards & Honors: Eric Whitaker Student Composer Award; Tyburski Awards, Best Varsity Freshman (soccer, basketball, and lacrosse); MVP Award, soccer; YMCA Canaan 5K Road Race, 1st Place for Women; Music Internships for MXM Max Martin and Kid Bloom. Volunteering: Housatonic Haunted House Fundraiser; Dig Pink Lacrosse Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser; Nobel Horizons Christmas; Soccer coach; Junior Windsurf Instructor; Refugee Community Kitchen in Vienna, Austria.
ZOË-RUTH BRIZAN from Pittsfield, Mass., won the Pittsfield and Guido's Fresh Marketplace scholarships and is attending Howard University. Her professional and educational goals include earning a B.M. in Classical Piano Performance with a double minor in entertainment law and music business, and becoming a music attorney. School Activities: PHS Orchestra; Advancing Minds of Colour; Class Council; Leaders in Action; Best Buddies; Mock Trial; Varsity Track & Field. Other activities: Pittsfield Youth String Quartet; Kids 4 Harmony; R.O.P.E.; Rotary Interact Club; Central Berkshire Youth Advisory Board; Stockbridge Sinfonia; El Sistema Side-by-Side and USA Youth Ambassador; Le Moyne Leadership Academy; Girls Empowerment Leadership Initiative; Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar; National Youth Leadership Forum: National Security. Awards & Honors: National Merit Scholarship; Le Moyne Heights Book Award; Stockbridge Sinfonia’s Dick Perera Award; Rotary Youth Leadership Award. Volunteering: Flying Cloud Institute; Oak Academy & Orphanage and The Good Shepherd Orphanage in Ghana, Africa.
LEIGHANA WILLIAMSON of Pittsfield, Mass., is the winner of the William Stanley Scholarship and is attending Southern New Hampshire University. Her professional and educational goals includes earning a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in human services and advocacy, and becoming an attorney. She has been employed as a full-time paralegal in the Pittsfield, Mass., law offices of Martin Hochberg & Cianflone, PLLP, since 2024. Prior to that she worked as a receptionist with the law firm of Campoli, Monteleone & Mozian, Great Barrington, Mass., from 2023-2024. She's a full-time student at Southern New Hampshire University and is the parent of a lively 2-year-old, Leila.
Congratulations to all of our amazing students!
All 2025 winners are listed in our Scholarship Yearbook.
See Yearbook
Scholarship Applications Open January 1, with a deadline of March 15