Bay State Games Announces 2020 Future Leaders Scholarship Recipients

Bay State Games • November 19, 2020

The Bay State Games has selected six statewide scholarship recipients for the 2020 Future Leaders Scholarship Program. These student-athlete were selected from a large applicant pool after a process that included committee reviews of all applications and virtual interviews with selected applicants. 

 

These future leaders were selected based on their achievements and involvement in academics, community service, athletics, and leadership roles. The Bay State Games Future Leaders Scholarship program was established in 1989 and has since distributed nearly $400,000 in financial aid. Each of the high school seniors will receive a $1,000 scholarship.


"Bay State Games is proud to announce the recipients of the 2020 Future Leaders Scholarship program. We congratulate these six individuals from across Massachusetts who have been leaders in the classroom, community, and on the athletic field of play,” said Bay State Games Executive Director, Kevin Cummings. “While COVID-19 impacted the scholarship application process as well as the lives of high school students across the Commonwealth, it did not appear to affect the outstanding accomplishments of the applicants which made the selection process very difficult. We are certain these exceptional recipients will excel during their college careers.” 


This year’s six scholarship recipients are:

Audrey Arsenault is a native of Stow and is a senior at Nashoba Regional High School. She is a player on the varsity softball and volleyball teams and played in the 2019 Bay State Games Softball Showcase on the Central team. Audrey is involved in Best Buddies, DECA, and Relay for Life, and has also volunteered as a candystripper at Emerson Hospital. She also participated in her school’s first ever Challenge Day. Audrey plans to study nursing and hopes to play softball at the intercollegiate level.

Carly Drew lives in Rochester and attends Old Rochester Regional High School, where she plays ice hockey, softball, and field hockey. She was a senior captain on the field hockey team and a 3-year captain of the ice hockey team. She played on the Southeast/Coastal team in the 2018 and 2019 Bay State Games Girls Ice Hockey Showcase. Carly is a member of student government, community service club, and a Project 351 alumni mentor. Carly also works as an ice hockey referee and volunteers with a special needs ice hockey team. Carly hopes to play ice hockey in college while studying psychology.

Jacqueline Dugay attends Ware Junior/Senior High School. She is a is 3-year captain of the varsity girls soccer team and is also a member of the varsity basketball team and the ski club. Jackie is class treasurer, an MIAA Student Ambassador, and is a member of the domestic violence task force and the recycle club. Jackie is a member of three national honors societies and has participated in over 100 hours of community service. She played in the 2019 Bay State Games Girls Soccer Showcase on the West Team. Jackie plans to study business.

Ashley Fitzgerald attends Everett High School, where she is a three-sport athlete in field hockey, basketball, and softball. She is part of the STEM Academy, Italian club, and key club. Ashley is an artist who was commissioned by the city of Everett to paint murals in the mayor’s office and design planter boxes. She is in the top of her class academically. Ashley plans to study engineering with the career goal to go to moon.

Declan Flynn attends Hingham High School, where he competes in baseball, golf, and swimming. He was named a two-year captain of the swim team. Declan is a Special Olympics swim team volunteer coach, and a member of DECA, the fishing club, and the captains council. Declan played in the 2019 Bay State Games Baseball Showcase and won the gold medal as a member of the Southeast team. Declan is committed to play baseball at Elms College and plans to major in marketing. 

Sophia Leo is a native of Stoneham and attends St. Joseph’s Preparatory High School. She competes in figure skating, cross country, and ice hockey, and previously played tennis. Sophia has been skating since 2007 and has competed in Bay State Games Figure Skating in 2017 and 2020. Sophia teaches figure skating in her club’s Learn to Skate program. She previously volunteered at York Hospital. Sophia is also active in her campus ministry and has conducted service trips in inner city communities. 
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WOBURN (November 15, 2024) – The Bay State Games has selected six statewide scholarship recipients for the 2024 Future Leaders Scholarship Program. These student-athletes were selected from a large applicant pool after a process that included committee reviews of all applications and virtual interviews with selected applicants. These future leaders were selected based on their achievements and involvement in academics, community service, athletics, and leadership roles. The Bay State Games Future Leaders Scholarship program was established in 1989 and has since distributed nearly $400,000 in financial aid. Each of these high school seniors will receive a $1,000 scholarship for their first year of college. “Since its inception in 1989, the Future Leaders Scholarship Program has recognized outstanding high school students that excel in the classroom, in the community, and on the field of play,” said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. “We are proud that this program has provided nearly $400,000 in aid to support the continuing education of these well deserving student-athletes that represent all regions of Massachusetts and many different sports.” This year’s six scholarship recipients are Akosua Adu-Gyamfi, Priya Bedard, Shannon Gustin, Keira Manning, Emilia Maria-Babcock, and Amelia Spencer. Akosua Adu-Gyamfi is a resident of Holden and attends the Winchendon School. At school, she plays on the varsity basketball team, where she is an active team leader. She played in the 2024 Bay State Games Girls Basketball Showcase on the Central team and won the DICK’S Sporting Goods Sportsmanship Award. Akosua started a Bible study club at her school and plays the piano. Outside of school, she is a childcare worker at a local elementary school and volunteers at the Akwabba Free Clinic in Worcester. She hopes to continue playing basketball in college while studying criminal justice with hopes of becoming a lawyer. Priya Bedard is a senior at Medway High School. At school, she is captain of the varsity softball team and plays on the varsity soccer and basketball teams. Priya competed in the 2024 Bay State Games Softball Showcase and was awarded the DICK’s Sporting Goods Sportsmanship Award for the Southeast team. She was selected as her school’s representative to attend the MIAA Leadership Conference. At school, Priya is a photographer for the school newspaper and volunteers for Relay for Life. She is currently completing an internship at the Innovation Center Pathways at Milford Regional Hospital. She volunteers at the Medway food pantry. After graduation, Priya plans to continue her academic and athletic career at the University of Hartford as a member of the softball team. Shannon Gustin is a senior at Rockland High School. She is ranked #11 in her class, sporting a 4.22 GPA through her junior year. Shannon is the Spirit Chair on the student council, which includes planning inclusion pep rallies, dances, spirit weeks and any other school spirit related event hosted at our school that bring us together as one “Bulldog Nation”. At school, she is also a member of the volleyball team, a founding member of her school’s DECA chapter and Vice President of Career Development, is a feature editor and writer for the RHS Veritas newspaper, and a secretary of Key Club. She was a founding member of the Women’s Empowerment Club at her school, which successfully was able to get feminine hygiene products installed in all the girl’s bathrooms at her school. Shannon is a high school sports and prom dress content creator as well. Shannon also competes in figure skating with the Winterland Skating School and has competed in Bay State Games Figure Skating competitions since 2016. Shannon plans on attending a 4-year university to study marketing and journalism to later work in the sports media field after graduation. Keira Manning is a native of Marlborough and attends the Advanced Math & Science Academy, where she plays field hockey and lacrosse. She is captain of her co-op field hockey team with Marlborough High School and is on the MIAA Student Advisory Committee. Within her school community, she is involved in a variety of clubs, including Leaders of Tomorrow, NHS, and Peer Mediation. She is a member of the Principal’s Council and is a Bay State Games Ambassador. Keira played for the Central team in the Bay State Games Field Hockey Showcase for 3 years. Keira is involved in the community through the Marlborough Public Library as a member of the Teen Advisory Board. She has won several leadership awards and attended leadership conferences all around the county, including being one of the four students from Massachusetts to be selected to attend the National Student Leadership Summit in Indianapolis this past summer. Keira plans to continue playing field hockey at Dickinson College after graduation while studying international studies or pre-law with hopes of attending law school. Emilia Maria-Babcock is a senior at Everett High School. She is ranked #6 in her class of 630 students with a 4.76 GPA. She is captain of the varsity basketball and soccer teams and plays softball at Everett High School. She played in the Bay State Games Girls Basketball Showcase for the Metro team twice, winning a silver medal in 2023 and gold in 2024. Emilia is the president of her class, in NHS and Spanish NHS, a student ambassador, and a member of Key Club. She has been presented with a National Women in Sports Leadership Award. When she’s not on the field or court, you can find Emilia playing the violin in the high school orchestra. Emilia is a youth basketball and softball coach and works as a sailing instructor. She hopes to become a physical therapist. Amelia Spencer is a native of Lynn and Winthrop and attends Winthrop High School. She holds a 4.3 GPA through her junior year. She has been president of her class for two years, is president of the student council, and was the sophomore class videographer. She is also a member of student government, debate club, math club, and wellness club. She is an MIAA Student Ambassador, Morgan’s Message Ambassador, and Bay State Games Ambassador. Athletically, she is captain of her school’s ice hockey and softball teams and played in the Bay State Games Girls Ice Hockey Showcase for 3 years, winning the gold medal each time. She is a Learn to Skate instructor, a Special Olympics volunteer, and completed an internship with the North Shore Navigators. Amelia was one of 4 students from Massachusetts to attend the National Student Leadership Summit in Indianapolis this past summer. In college, Amelia will continue to play NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey and will be studying special education and minoring in nutrition. Her dream job is to become an adaptive physical education teacher. For more information on the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, click here. For a list of past recipients and the colleges and universities they've attended, click here .
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