Four Students Receive Spring 2022 Honor Garden Scholarship

On April 27, 2022, four Massasoit Commonwealth Honors students – Christopher Knight, Ryan Maxim, Savannah Murphy, and Elizabeth Vallee – 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 44 students have been recipients.

Christopher Knight is in his final semester at Massasoit and will be graduating with the Class of 2022. A Business Administration major, he plans to transfer to Bridgewater State University in the fall and would like to get into film. When first beginning the Commonwealth Honors Program, Christopher saw the program as an opportunity to test his academic skills and improve his writing, and the Honors courses quickly became his favorites. He views receiving the Honor Garden Scholarship as a major achievement and is happy to be recognized for his hard work.

Christopher has been active in study groups at Massasoit and activities within the Honors Program. He works at Stop & Shop, and in his free time, he enjoys playing video games, working out, going on walks, drawing, and listening to music.

Ryan Maxim is a Liberal Arts Transfer major and will be graduating as a member of Massasoit’s Class of 2022. Ryan will be transferring to Bridgewater State University to study physical therapy, with the goal of earning his doctorate someday. He wishes to find a meaningful and satisfying career, and he believes physical therapy will give him tremendous opportunities to help people through difficult points in their lives.

At Massasoit, Ryan has enjoyed the challenging but rewarding nature of the Commonwealth Honors Program as well as the hands-on biology lab courses he has taken. Ryan will complete the Honors Program this semester, and he also credits the program with helping him to meet and surpass his academic goals. When he is not studying, Ryan works at Lowe’s Home Improvement.

Elizabeth Vallee is Liberal Arts Transfer major at Massasoit. After graduating next year, she would like to major in creative writing and literature studies at a four-year university for her bachelor’s, and then continue on to earn a master’s in library science. Her dream job is to be a school librarian, and Elizabeth cannot wait to share her passion for literature with young minds while hopefully inspire some future librarians in the process. She currently works two jobs – one through a work study program at Massasoit, and another at a public library.

Elizabeth is honored to be selected for the Honor Garden Scholarship. The Honors Program has given new meaning to her college experience, and she values everything that she has learned being a part of it. She has enjoyed how friendly, yet professional the professors are at Massasoit.

Savannah Murphy is a Chemistry Transfer major and plans on transferring to a four-year university in the fall of 2023 to complete her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. She would like to eventually obtain a doctorate degree and work in the field of oncology. This upcoming summer, Savannah will be participating in Boston University’s Research Experience for Undergraduates. Through the program, entitled “Fundamental Research in Chemistry Addressing Problems in Biology,” she will be working alongside other undergraduate and graduate students on a chemistry-based research project.

While at Massasoit, Savannah has been a peer mentor in the TRIO Program and involved with STEM activities; she is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, is a Presidential Student Ambassador, and serves as the student representative on the College Governance Student Experience Committee.