Merrimack Valley Credit Union Will Award 15 Scholarships To HS Seniors

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU), which has a branch in North Andover, has announced that it is offering 15 college scholarships worth a total of $16,500 to high school seniors in its field of membership.

The company will award 14 scholarships worth $1,000 and another, the Lisa Lewis Goodman Community Spirit Award, will be worth $2,500. To be eligible for the grants, applicants must be graduating seniors and plan to enroll full-time in college in the fall of 2023. However, they do not need to be MVCU members.

Applications for the scholarships are available online and due on Feb. 28. Students are asked to submit an essay that answers the question: "How would you define success for yourself?" In addition, they should submit transcripts and letters of recommendation from teachers, guidance counselors, coaches and scout leaders or religious leaders.

"Our annual scholarship program is just one way that we give back to those in our community," said John Howard, president and CEO of MVCU. "We will select 15 local seniors who have thrived in their high school careers and are pursuing college to advance their education, either close to home or across the country. We know that it is becoming increasingly difficult for many working families to send their children to college, which is why we're committed to relieving part of that burden for these students."

According to MVCU, the Lisa Lewis Goodman Community Spirit Award is named after a former collections manager at the credit union who passed away in 2023.

Goodman was known for her dedication to the community and generous acts toward employees and members, which is why the award will go to the student who "embodies the community spirit by providing leadership services in their school and community."

The $1,000 scholarships, meanwhile, will be handed out to students based on academic success in high school, commitment to extracurricular and community activities and the response to the essay question, MVCU said.

For the purpose of the program, MVCU's field of membership includes the following counties: Hillsborough and Rockingham, New Hampshire, Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk, Massachusetts, and Kent and Providence Rhode Island.

The MVCU branch in North Andover is located at 350 Winthrop Ave., Route 114.