On June 3, 2018, the 28th Annual Brookline High School (BHS) Scholarship Breakfast celebrated the achievements of 142 graduating seniors who received a total of $298,200 in scholarships to use towards their college or post-secondary training programs. Each year, scholarships are awarded to BHS students with financial need, specifically for crucial tuition payments.
This year’s breakfast also celebrated Dean Scott Butchart and his commitment to young people. Scott is retiring after 34 years at BHS, 25 of which he spent chairing the BHS Scholarship Committee. Scott has devoted an enormous amount of time and effort to helping students pursue their dreams of attending post-secondary education.
About four years ago, Scott helped to create the Brookline Community Foundation (BCF) Scholarship Fund for BHS. The fund makes college accessible for BHS students with financial need whether four-year colleges, two-year community colleges, vocational education schools and other educational programs. As Scott describes it, “The Fund’s goal is to ensure that kids who deserve a higher education can find a way to accomplish it while not accumulating debt that will burden them for years, even decades.”
The Foundation, in partnership with the Town of Brookline and BHS, manages the endowed BCF Scholarship Fund for BHS with the goal of raising $3.7 million over the next ten years. This will double the amount of scholarship awards with the town each year, totaling $300,000. Special recognition goes to Brookline Bank, The Country Club and Bo Winiker and the Rotary Club of Brookline, who have all raised or pledged $100,000 or more since the fund was established. To date, we have raised over $690,000 towards our goal.
“Through the BCF Scholarship Fund for BHS, we are working one step at a time towards ensuring access and equity for students to attend post-secondary education,” said Foundation Executive Director Jenny Amory.