Newton Resident Awarded Herbert Randolph Kiser Memorial Scholarship

NEWTON, MA — Newton resident Simone Isabelle has been awarded the 11th Annual Herbert Randolph Kiser Memorial Scholarship as a graduating high school senior who participated in Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC).

The scholarship is named after Herbert Randolph "Randy” Kiser, who was born in Waltham in 1956. Kiser received the majority of his formal education in the Boston Public Schools and last attended Boston English.

In May 1974, Kiser was returning home from work when he was approached by two young men on Gallivan Boulevard near Neponset Circle in Dorchester. Randy’s life was taken as a result of a racially-motivated attack.

The Herbert Randolph Kiser Memorial Scholarship was established by BCC to help young people realize their full potential since Kiser was unable to realize his.

To apply for this scholarship, Isabelle wrote an essay about the impact that being a member of BCC has had on their life. Friends and members of the Kiser family reviewed and rated each essay anonymously and selected only three recipients: Isabelle, Neha Saravanan, and Erica Weinreich.

Isabelle was awarded a $5,000 scholarship. To read her full submission essay, click here.