For the 12th year in a row the Alumni and Friends of Belmont High School (AFBHS) has awarded four scholarships to outstanding graduating BHS seniors. In addition, this year, the BHS Class of 1963 also made its first scholarship award. Each of the five scholarships was for $3,500.

The photo immediately below shows the four AFBHS scholarship recipients, Aisha Bance (UMass Boston), Gabriella Landaeta (Tulane), Amanda Su (RPI) and Sophia Shen (UCLA), smiling at Senior Awards Day.

According to the committee of teachers and administrators that selected these recipients:

Aisha has been an outstanding student at BHS, becoming engaged in and assuming leadership roles in extracurricular activities while having to navigate a difficult day-to-day home life. She is excited to pursue nursing or public health at UMass Boston.
Gabriella is a creative scholar with awards for her oil painting in addition to successes in her other studies. She has enjoyed testing herself with outdoor activities including an 81 mile hike in the West. An art major at Tulane is in her future.
Amanda’s activities, in addition to her academic accomplishments, included being president of the Asian American Club, a leader on the sailing club, a student advisor to the Belmont Public Library and member of the track team. A first generation college student, she is headed toward a career in biomedical engineering at RPI.
Sophia is a dedicated and outstanding student with a commitment also to helping people. She has organized help for a school in Malawi, taught English and piano in Belmont, been a leader in the Performing Arts Company technical crew, and is a competitive ping pong player. She has interned in biology at Northeastern and is headed to UCLA.

The Class of 1963 Scholarship recipient LeFaith Massaquoi is shown in the next photo, receiving her award with her mother and Class of 1963 representative Charles Stone. LeFaith’s energy greatly impressed peers and teachers alike. She seeks out opportunities where she believes she will make a difference or an impact – as an active member of the Mayor’s Youth Council in Boston or hosting her own radio show, while still maintaining an excellent academic record. A first generation college student, she is looking forward to finding her career path at Bentley University.