Guilford Residents Awarded Watershed Fund Scholarships

Roxanne Leshine, Eric Pasay and Natalia Castro of Guilford are among the 18 students from the greater New Haven region who received college scholarships this year from The Watershed Fund, a non-profit organization established by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. Scholarships are awarded to students pursuing a degree in environmental science and who reside in one of the towns or cities in the Regional Water Authority’s district. The awards, which total over $40,000, include one David Silverstone Leadership Scholarship.

Leshine is a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island, pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and Management. Pasay is an undergraduate at Clark University pursuing a degree in  Earth Systems Sciences, and Castro will be pursuing a degree in Environmental Engineering.

The David Silverstone Scholarship of $5,000 is awarded to an undergraduate junior or senior or to a graduate student. The student must demonstrate a commitment to a career in environmental studies, show leadership, maintain a level of academic performance, engage in extra-curricular community activities, demonstrate financial need and do either paid or voluntary work in the environmental field. This year’s recipient is Emily R. Arsenault of Branford who is entering her senior year at Colby College.

In addition to awarding scholarships, The Watershed Fund is dedicated to acquiring threatened watershed lands and supporting environmental education programs. Watershed Fund Grants are awarded two times a year, in May and in November. Recipients of the May grants were West Haven High School to purchase equipment for the GLOBE program, an environmental monitoring effort, Common Ground – New Haven Ecology Project for a watershed learning project on their campus, Solar Youth, Inc. and the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority for an environmental careers summer camp. Projects receiving grants must benefit the residents of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water District.

Applications for grants for consideration in November are due October 1, 2013. Grant information and applications are available online at www.thewatershedfund.org.