Bay State Games Announces 2021 Future Leaders Scholarship Recipients
WOBURN (November 18, 2021) – The Bay State Games has selected six statewide scholarship recipients for the 2021 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 the high school seniors will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
“While the pandemic has had a significant impact on the high school class of 2022 academically, athletically, and socially, it is extremely impressive to see the outstanding accomplishments this year’s scholarship recipients have achieved in the face of so much adversity," said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of Bay State Games. "The success these recipients have attained in academics, athletics, community service, and leadership make them truly deserving of this scholarship.”
This year’s six scholarship recipients are:
Olivia Adelabu is from North Andover and is a senior at Pingree School. At Pingree, she competes on the track & field and volleyball teams. Olivia is captain of the track & field team, the school record holder in the high jump, 4x200m, and 200m, has competed in Bay State Games Track & Field for two years, and has been a Bay State Games Ambassador. She is the founder of the Banana Splits, a club for children from divorced families, and a member of the People of Color Coalition, the Student Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the Diversity Council. Olivia is also a poll worker during presidential elections and works to encourage others to register to vote and regularly volunteers at a homeless shelter. During the pandemic, Olivia provided cooking lessons over Zoom for young children in her church. She also made over 100 masks to ship to Louisiana. Olivia was also tasked with creating short stories and art projects to help young children who were just starting school during the pandemic to learn different ways to recognize emotion when everyone is wearing a mask. Olivia plans to study neuroscience and pursue her passion for social justice while also continuing to run track in college.
Leah DeLeon is a native of Lawrence and attends Central Catholic High School, where she is captain of both the volleyball and basketball teams and competes in track & field. In 2021, Leah played for the Northeast team in the Girls Basketball Showcase. She is on the leadership team of Peer Leadership and is also a student ambassador, classroom representative, a member of the Keystone Club, and a Marist Mentor, which pairs her with a child at the local Boys & Girls Club and allows children to have a mentor that helps them throughout the week. For the last 4 years, Leah has also volunteered at a soup kitchen. Leah plans to study psychology and pursue a career in psychiatrics.
Brielle Los is a senior at Chicopee High School, where she is a three-year captain of the soccer team and has also participated on the unified track and unified basketball teams. She played in the Girls Soccer Showcase three times, helping the West team to silver medals in 2018 and 2021 and a bronze medal in 2019. In 2019, Brielle played in the 2019 Norway Cup in Oslo and her team finished 9th out of 64 teams. At school, Brielle is president of her class, president of National Honors Society, and a member of Best Buddies. She was also secretary of National Honors Society as a junior. Brielle won the 2019 AMVETS National Americanism Essay Content. She also organized the Angela Marie Santiago Memorial, a garden at school in memory of their resource officer. After graduation, Brielle hopes to pursue a career in health care.
Yamirelis Matos is a native of Springfield, MA and attends Chicopee High School. She plays basketball and soccer at Chicopee and serves as captain of the basketball team. She is also the captain of her AAU team. Yamirelis has been named Western Mass Super Seven and All-Western Mass First Team since freshman year. Yamirelis helped the Central/West team to a silver medal in the 2021 Girls Basketball Showcase. Yamirelis is a member of both the National Honors Society and Spanish National Honors Society, as well as Best Buddies. She was chosen by teachers at her school to speak to the entire district on the first day of school when returning from hybrid learning. After graduation this spring, Yamirelis will attend Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA where she intends to play basketball and study pharmacy.
Kaleigh Murphy is a senior at Pembroke High School, where she is captain for the field hockey, ice hockey, and softball teams. Kaleigh played in the 2021 Field Hockey Showcase, where she helped the Coastal team to the silver medal. Kaleigh is also a Bay State Games Ambassador. At school, Kaleigh is a member of National Honors Society and DECA. Kaleigh is also part of the art club and has volunteered at the Pembroke Art Festival. She is an assistant coach of the Great Blizzards of Massachusetts, a hockey team for players of all ages with cognitive, mental, or developmental disabilities. After graduation, Kaleigh plans to study sport management.
Nina Tiani is a senior at Hull High School, where she is the captain of the soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams. During the Fall II season in 2021, Nina also competed in indoor track & field and was named a league all-star. Nina helped the Coastal team to a bronze medal in the 2021 Girls Soccer Showcase. She is vice president of her class and served as a class representative her first three years of high school. Nina is also the treasurer of National Honors Society and a founding member of the Inclusion Project, which is a club meant to teach others how to interact with people who are neuro-divergent. Nina has also completed several community service projects. Nina is ranked #4 in her class and hopes to study business in college.
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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