AFSCME Local 1303, representing 7,500 municipal employees across the state, announced the winners of the 2018 College Scholarships, awarded annually to the children of union members pursuing their higher education degrees.

Local 1303’s Scholarship Committee selected eight high school seniors and two collegiate freshmen to receive individual scholarships of $1,000 to apply to their studies next year. Scholarship applications included an essay on how union membership benefited a student’s life and family.

“Our union is proud to be able to help our members’ children achieve their educational dreams,” said Local 1303 President Michael Gilberto, Local 1303-061 (West Hartford Board of Education). “The message of our scholarship program is that union membership lifts people into the middle class and strengthens our families.”

Congratulations to the 2018 winners, who are listed below with the colleges they are attending, and their parents listed in parentheses:

College:
Elena Gonzalez, (Gladys Gonzalez) Chapter 146 (Bethel): Fordham University, NY
Jaden Tiriolo, (Donna Tirolo), Chapter 374 (Cheshire):  Mount St. Mary College, NY

High School:
Jennifer Charette, (Suzanne Charette) Chapter 257 (Nonnewaug): Quinnipiac University
Trevor Dufresne (Jodi Dufresne), Chapter 140 (Southington), Endicott College
Grace Fleishman, (Andrea Fleishman) Chapter 413 (Oxford): Sacred Heart University
Miranda Iannone, (Susan Iannone, Chapter 159 (East Haven): Cornell University
Brian Leary, (Laura Leary) Chapter 139 (Watertown): Sacred Heart University
Adam Mortensen, (Susan Pike), Chapter 463 (N. Stonington): Rensselaer Polytech Institute
Aiden O’Connor, (Peter O’Connor) Chapter 061 (West Hartford): Univ. of Connecticut
Bethany Whiteside (Robert Whiteside, Jr.) Chapter 160: University of New Haven