THE A2B FOUNDATION awarded three scholarships to members of the NRHS Class of 2024. From left, Bella Fischer and Jessica Simone received Allen Burgess Memorial Scholarships and Elias Nikolopoulos received the Coach Allen Burgess Scholarship. (Courtesy Photo)
NORTH READING — Three North Reading High School seniors were recently presented with scholarships in memory of Allen Burgess, a 24-year resident who devoted countless hours to the community.
The scholarship presentation on June 16 was held at the Coach Allen Burgess Pavilion at the home of North Reading Little League, the Benevento Memorial Park on Central Street.
This year’s Coach Allen Burgess Baseball Scholarship was awarded to Elias Nikolopoulos. This $500 scholarship honors Allen’s long-standing devotion to North Reading Little League. As Eli shared in his essay, he loves the game of baseball for the values it instills in athletes, the connections formed between teammates and the lifelong memories made on the field. Eli will be attending Merrimack College in the fall to study accounting and finance.
Jessica Simone and Bella Fischer were each awarded Allen Burgess Memorial Scholarships in the amount of $2,500. This scholarship is given to seniors who have given back to the community with the same kindness, compassion, and generosity that Allen exemplified.
From volunteering at local shelters to mentoring youth cheerleaders, Jessica has devoted time and energy to the North Reading community with passion and commitment. At the age of 13, inspired by the Take a Tag program of CCS for families in need, Jessica contacted a social worker at the Department for Families and Children and established a “birthday room” where children could choose a birthday gift. Jessica noted in her essay, “Over the past five years, we have been able to provide hundreds of birthday gifts to foster children who would otherwise not receive one.” Jessica will be attending Sacred Heart University in the fall.
Since the age of 8, Bella Fischer has been a baseball buddy in the North Reading Challenger League, an adaptive baseball program for children with physical and developmental disabilities. She wrote in her essay about her baseball buddy and her experience working with the same buddy for 11 seasons.
Bella is also an ambassador for the TOPS program, a recreational soccer program for individuals with physical, emotional, or intellectual disabilities. She was an active member at NRHS, participated on the soccer team and served as class secretary and as a board member and fundraising chief of DECA. She is also the creator of the Hornet Nation Instagram page and was a member of numerous clubs. Bella will attend Clemson University to study business and marketing. She is also planning to join their LIFE (Learning Is for Everyone) program.
The scholarships awarded in honor of Allen are funded through the annual Allen Burgess Memorial Golf Tournament.
To learn more about the tournament, to register or to donate, please see the ad with QR code in this week’s Transcript.
