Five Students Receive 2021 Honor Garden Scholarship

On April 28, 2021, five Massasoit Commonwealth Honors students – Chinelo Anagboso, Camryn Beals, Emma Coleman, Annabelle Torres, and Joseph Tramontozzi – were awarded with $500 Honor Garden Scholarships for their exceptional grades and winning application essays. The Scholarship was established in 2013 to recognize outstanding academic achievement in the Commonwealth Honors Program at Massasoit, and in the years since, more than 35 students have been recipients.

Chinelo Anagboso is a Liberal Arts Transfer – Science major at Massasoit and will graduating this year as a member of the class of 2021. She plans to transfer to another college to continue her education and earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. In addition to completing the Commonwealth Honors program, Chinelo was accepted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society for her strong academics, and she balanced her studying with working as a nurse assistant. She feels accomplished having been named an Honor Garden Scholarship winner.

Chinelo is originally from Nigeria but moved to the United States after her high school graduation to pursue higher education. “Amazing” professors at Massasoit helped her build confidence during her first semester, and the end of her second semester she was asked to join the Honors Program. Looking back, Chinelo is grateful accepting the invitation, and she credits the program with helping to further build her confidence; analytic, critical thinking, and writing skills; and help her transfer to a four-year university.

Camryn Beals feels ecstatic to receive the Honor Garden Scholarship. She decided to embrace the challenge of the Honors program, completed English Composition II Honors, and is currently enrolled in the Honors Seminar and LGBT Themes in Literature. As part of the Honors Program Speakers Bureau, Camryn shares her personal experiences with other students and provides encouragement to join the Commonwealth Honors Program. Massasoit has encouraged Camryn to become more involved and open up to others, which has helped her make great connections with peers and her professors.

Camryn plans to graduate in Spring 2022 as a Liberal Arts Transfer Major. She would love to become an elementary school teacher because she loves to work with children and make a difference in the community. While studying at Massasoit, she has worked as a swim team coach for children and as a lifeguard. She is grateful for her family, which has helped her become the strong, confident person that she is today.

Emma Coleman is a Social Science Transfer major and will be graduating at the end of the spring semester. Emma will be transferring to Bridgewater State University to study political science; she’s not sure what career path that will lead her towards, but she’s inclined to something in government, law, forensics, or criminology. Emma’s goal is to get her bachelor’s degree at Bridgewater State and then get her master’s degree in a specific area that she is really passionate about. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and is proud of her hard work at Massasoit. “It feels good for it to be recognized,” Emma said.

Outside of Massasoit, Emma works at Michaels Arts and Crafts and was promoted a manager position last year; she oversees the cashiers and sales floor team members and enjoys making the store the best it can be. Her hobbies include listening to podcasts, doing puzzles, decorating her room, and she babysits two little boys.

Annabelle Torres’ passion for writing and reading led her to the Commonwealth Honors Program at Massasoit. At first, Annabelle was nervous to enroll in an honors course; she had never taken an honors-level course before. That changed once Honors English Composition I was underway, as she quickly realized she belonged. As a Liberal Arts major, Annabelle has been able to explore a variety of subject areas through both required and elective courses. With the help of the Honors Program, Annabelle saw that her path was heading towards a possible career in writing.

Currently, Annabelle writes creative poems and essays, but she plans on writing a novel (or two) in the future. She also plans on continuing her education and taking many more advanced English and writing classes. Annabelle credits the Honors Program for providing her with the building blocks for her future career as a writer. “The Commonwealth Honors Program has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, educational experiences I have ever had,” said Annabelle.

Joseph is a Liberal Arts Transfer – Science major and has been active as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the Honors Speakers Bureau, Massasoit’s STEM Scholars, the TRIO Program, and the Earth Club. Joseph was also set to play baseball for Massasoit Athletics. He is graduating this year and plans to transfer to a four-year institution, play baseball as long as possible, and continue to be curious both inside and outside of the classroom.

Joseph enjoys science, but also has passions for art, film, literature, and more. He hopes to have a future that incorporates all of these things, and career-wise he’s most interested in scientific research, medicine, and physical therapy, but also engineering, astronomy, and architecture. During his time at Massasoit, Joseph was also an instructor at a baseball academy and is a student representative/intern for Massasoit’s Curriculum Committee. He thoroughly enjoyed his time at Massasoit and feels that it was a great resource to advance his educational journey.