WCVB Boston Announces 2015 Kirby Perkins A+ Scholarship Recipients

Topic: Youth-Focused Initiatives
Posted on 7/17/2015

Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate WCVB-TV Boston presented seven high school seniors with scholarships worth up to $7,000. The 17th annual Kirby Perkins A+ Scholarship honors a late WCVB reporter who developed weekly "A+" reports to profile high school seniors who overcame hardship to achieve college admission. The 2015 recipients are:

• Heidi Petion, Boston Arts Academy, immigrated from Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. She overcame language barriers to excel in school, and wants to become a doctor.
• James Maring, Chelsea High School, escaped the ongoing civil war in South Sudan.
• Henry Carr, King Phillip High School, is battling cancer.
• Rezwan Ali, Medford High School, moved to the U.S. from Bangladesh, learned English, and worked full-time while in school due to his father’s illness. He wants to be an engineer.
• Jake Gillett, Catholic Memorial High School, drove 100 miles round trip to school each day. Gillet, whose mother died in a fire 12 years ago, is a member of his school’s television studio.
• Isaac Nelson, Fitchburg High School, emigrated from Ghana and lost his sister to a brain tumor. He is an outstanding soccer player and volunteers in the local homework center.
• Anthony King, Worcester South High School, overcame economic adversity and other personal hardships, including frequent moves and a stay in a shelter, in order to excel academically.

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