Five Awarded Partners In Patriotism Scholarships

From Partners in Patriotism:

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The first recipients of the Kraft family’s Partners in Patriotism Scholarship were announced Tuesday at Foxborough High School’s Scholarship Night.

FHS seniors Caroline Boudreau, Anir Gubbala, Joshua Jacobson, Catherine Luciano and Holly O’Toole were selected as the inaugural recipients out of a field of 47 applicants. Each recipient will receive a $5,000 academic scholarship from the Kraft family.

“My family and I would like to congratulate these five wonderful young men and women on their outstanding high school careers,” said New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “There were many deserving applicants for these five scholarships, but Caroline, Anir, Joshua, Catherine and Holly each stood out because of their dedication to helping their community, appreciation of others, hard work and their respective goals for the future. I am very pleased to award these individuals with our first Partners in Patriotism scholarships and wish them the very best in the pursuit of their passions.”

Each recipient was presented with a commemorative football and a personalized note from Kraft. Additionally, the students have been invited to attend a Partners in Patriotism Scholarship Awards Reception in their honor with their families at Gillette Stadium later this summer.

Boudreau is the FHS student council president and secretary of Foxboro Rotary’s Interact Club, where she and her peers volunteer to perform at least one act of community service each month. As a member of Interact, Boudreau has volunteered at a soup kitchen and spent time visiting with senior citizens. She is a member of the Spanish, National and American Sign Language honor societies and has also spent time teaching American Sign Language to elementary school students. A skilled athlete in lacrosse and field hockey, Boudreau is currently captain of the FHS girls’ lacrosse team and has also volunteered her time coaching youth lacrosse in town. She plans to study business with a concentration in marketing at Bentley University.

Gubbala, a three-sport athlete in football, swimming and track and field, has served as a member of the Interact Club and has given back to the community through his involvement in Foxborough Unified Track and Best Buddies to help students with physical and intellectual disabilities. He also volunteered on the FHS assistant principal search committee. He plans to pursue a degree in civil engineering at the University of Rhode Island.

Jacobson has spent much of his high school career volunteering for the Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston, a yearlong teen philanthropy program that provides Jewish teens with the opportunity to put their Jewish values into practice. Jacobson has taken a leadership role in this program for three years, serving as an advisor and on the board of directors. He has also volunteered at the Family Table Food Pantry and has been a member of the FHS track team and FHS music concert band, symphony orchestra and jazz band where he plays the French horn, mellophone and saxophone. Jacobson plans to attend Miami University of Ohio to pursue a degree in human capital management and leadership as well as social entrepreneurship.

Luciano, FHS class of 2018 vice president and student council vice president, has compiled an impressive resume of community service to complement her academic and athletic accolades. Luciano has been a four-year member of the Interact Club where she volunteered at the Attleboro Soup Kitchen and visited residents at the Doolittle Home. She has also volunteered for the Rodman Ride for Kids, Best Buddies, Clean Up Foxboro Day and has visited patients at the Boston Hospital for the Homeless. A three-sport athlete and captain in field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse, Luciano has helped lead the Warriors to a 2016 MIAA South Sectional championship in field hockey and a 2017 Division II state semifinalist in lacrosse. She is also a member of the National Honor Society. Luciano plans to attend The College of The Holy Cross to pursue a degree in accounting.

O’Toole is the vice president of the Interact Club where she has volunteered at the Attleboro Soup Kitchen, organized blood drives, visited residents at the Doolittle Home and patients at the Boston Hospital for the Homeless. She is also the publicity coordinator for FHS student council and has enjoyed a successful athletic career in field hockey and lacrosse. O’Toole plans to attend the University of New Hampshire to pursue a degree in nursing.

The Kraft family announced the Partners in Patriotism Scholarship program earlier this year for Foxborough residents who are graduating high school seniors. The program offers five, $5,000 scholarships to students who best demonstrate a dedication to community service and embody the core principles and values of the Kraft Group: Good character, high integrity, respect to others, a willingness to take ownership and be active in your community.

Image Credit: New England Patriots/Lindsey Cunniff