By Ginger DeShaney

Ten South Boston students were awarded $2,000 South Boston Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship Trust Fund scholarships Monday night, and each one of them was grateful to have grown up in Southie.

The South Boston Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship Trust Fund held a Zoom ceremony on Monday night to honor the recipients for their hard work, academic excellence, dedication, community involvement, and citizenship.

“All 10 of you truly deserve this,” said Moss Lynch, vice chair of the South Boston Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship Trust Fund.

Since its inception 25 years ago, the organization has awarded 201 scholarships worth $296,500. The grant program is educational in nature and services all South Boston high school graduates regardless of where they attend school. 

“2020 has been an exceptional year, one that many of us wish would quickly go away, so we can start anew without all the challenges we’ve endured,” said ceremony emcee and SBSHOF Scholarship Trust Fund Board of Trustees member John Beatty. 

“It’s been a long year for everybody and we hope that you and your families have gotten through it OK and will continue to do so.

“Despite what 2020 has brought us, we have a dedicated group of selfless servants that are part of this scholarship trust fund,” Beatty continued. “These leaders were committed to making this happen, despite everything else that’s going on in the world; despite all the reasons for us not to, because it was too hard or we couldn’t get together. Despite all the obstacles, the folks associated with this fund were committed to giving back, like they have for 25 years.”

“The 2019-2020 school year was difficult and we appreciate all your hard work in your efforts in your community, in South Boston, in school, and for keeping your grades up,” Lynch told the scholarship recipients.

“Our program is vital to our community and our youth,” said Lynch, who was a scholarship recipient himself in 2008. 

Beatty presented the scholarship winners.

RACHEL RANS
Boston Latin School 2020
University of Wisconsin Madison
The MassPort Scholarship Grant

There is no doubt that Rachel loves sports. She was a routine fixture at the PAL and the Tynan School playing soccer, softball, and basketball. Like most South Boston youth, these programs create lifetime friendships. But Rachel’s volunteerism, such as the first-grade class she volunteered to teach, her tutoring of middle school students, and the quality time spent with the elderly making them waffles and keeping them company, is what will create a lifetime of memories.

Said Rachel: “Thank you very much. I can’t say that I was amazing at all the Southie sports. It definitely did make an impact on me … Now I’m tutoring at Wisconsin. I didn’t think it was possible for me to go here. It definitely was a dream school of mine. I couldn’t have done it without Southie. I’m so glad to have grown up here.”

MARY PECEVICH
Boston Latin School 2020
University of New Hampshire
L Street Brownies Association Scholarship Grant

While an excellent student at Boston Latin School, Tari (Mary) learned her commitment to others and her community from right in her own home. Tari has been a passionate coach and partner for her sister while involved with the adaptive sports program. She helped her sister find a role and made her life a lot better. That work and her love for her sister resonated with those around her in the community. Whether participating in the Sailing Program, Kick Off for Kids, or at the Laboure, Tari brings her kindness and compassion for others to the cause. 

Said Tari: “Thank you so much. I remember I used to do the Polar Plunge with (the L Street Brownies), so that’s pretty cool. I’m very honored to be able to represent Southie … I’m so grateful to have grown up here.”

CAROLYN DWYER
Boston Latin School 2020
UMass Amherst
John Cunniff Memorial Scholarship Grant

Carolyn, like so many of our South Boston youth, embraced the great programs and people within our community. Carolyn’s passion for skating kept her close to the Murphy Rink, where she enjoyed the mentorship and dedication of the Murphy team. Later, she became the mentor — becoming a leader in the Learn to Skate Program, ensuring that the lessons she learned will be passed down to the next generation.

Said Carolyn: “Thank you so much for those kind words. I really appreciate everything you guys have done … I’m definitely grateful to have grown up here.”

JULIET FITZGERALD
Boston Latin School 2020
Harvard College
Folan Family Memorial Scholarship Grant

“Be prepared … and be ready to help out wherever needed.” Juliet learned that Girl Scout motto as a young girl in South Boston. She took it to heart and was fully prepared to make an impact on her community. Whether volunteering to help students prepare for their school exams with the South Boston Leadership Initiatives, ISEE prep course, supporting our neighbors at the Marion Manor, or bringing her selflessness to the Brigham and Women’s Shapiro Center, Juliet was ready and committed. 

Said Juliet: “Thank you guys so much. I’m really grateful for growing up in Southie and for all the programs here that helped me grow a love for sports tutoring.” 

KEVIN WATTS
Landmark School 2020
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Eddie Sheehy Sr. Memorial Scholarship Grant

Kevin has been a dedicated athlete and volunteer to the South Boston hockey community. His hard work in goal helped his team win the 2016 state championship and posted a top-three finish at Lake Placid. A champion in the classroom as well as on the ice, Kevin maintained over a 3.5 GPA at the Landmark School. 

Said Kevin: “I’d like to thank everybody involved with the South Boston Sports Hall of Fame and everybody with Southie Youth Hockey. Love to see my banner hanging down the rink just like all  the greats. Love Southie. Gotta keep doing what we do best here.”

ARBRI LEKA
Boston College High School 2020
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Patricia Sheehy Memorial Scholarship Grant

A  3.51 GPA student at Boston College High School, Arbri knows about hard work in the classroom. At home in South Boston, Arbri goes about the work of helping others. He has become a familiar face at our neighborhood churches, Gate of Heaven and St. Brigid’s, doing everything from Mass setup to grounds maintenance. While enough for most young people, Arbri took on more, immersing himself in the South Boston Neighborhood House and its programs – he embraced all they had to offer and has given back so much to the “Ollie.” 

Said Arbri: “Thank you to all the people that make this possible and the whole program. I’m really grateful for the people in this community and I hope I can do good and give back.”

REBECCA DONOVAN
Boston Latin School 2020
UMass Amherst
Bob Nichols Memorial Scholarship Grant

A great basketball and softball player, Rebecca has showcased her talent across Boston as a player and a coach. She has selflessly shared the many lessons she learned in the South Boston Softball League with young kids across our city. While certainly a great ambassador for Southie, her support of her community runs deep. Rebecca knows that communities are built on traditions, and her annual support of the Gate of Heaven Christmas Pageant, her desire to make it a wonderful and amazing event for the little ones that follow in her footsteps, is commendable. 

Said Rebecca: “Thank you for everyone who made this possible … I’m glad I was able to help the community in the places that were so helpful to me. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do more for them in the future.”

CAROLYN DEAL    
The Woodward School 2020
Stonehill College
South Boston Sports Hall of Fame Grant

“We Learn So That We May Lead,” the motto of the Woodward School, Carolyn’s alma mater, aptly describes how Carolyn has attacked the world. She embraced learning so she could apply it to service and impact. She took her love for writing and literature to the South Boston Public Library as a volunteer and used her creative skills to produce a poetic composition about the beauty of sledding at Farragut Park. 

Said Carolyn: “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I hope to use this money toward Stonehill College.”

ALLISON MCGOUGH
Boston Latin School 2020
Fairfield University
South Boston Sports Hall of Fame Grant

General Douglas MacArthur once said, “Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that, upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory.” Allison sowed those seeds in South Boston youth sports and today she is reaping the fruits – as a recognized leader and captain of her Boston Latin basketball team, confident coach and mentor to our young basketball players, and through her outreach to Beth Israel Deaconess in Milton.  

Said Allison: “Thank you. I can’t think of a better place to be from than Southie. I spent a lot of my childhood at the Walsh Center. I think that played a really big impact on my sports career … So I was really sad to see that go. I just hope I can do the same thing (for others) that the people who mentored me up there (did for me) …I just hope to have the same impact on some kids that they had on me.”

CHRISTOPHER FITZGERALD
Boston College High School 2020
Sacred Heart University
South Boston Sports Hall of Fame Grant

A true son of South Boston, Chris is already immersing himself at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, leading a peer group and coaching in a local basketball league. He is the product of everything that is good about South Boston – a strong family, dedication to the community, deep commitment to our churches, and service to others. But above all, he exhibits a fierce spirit of perseverance, resilience, and grit. Chris is showing others how to overcome obstacles and make an impact. 

Said Chris: “Thank you very much for the kind words. I’d just like to dedicate this to my grandfather. Without him I never would be so proud to be a part of Southie. People like him and you guys make it so good to be a part of … You can’t really think of one bad thing about Southie.”

Board of Trustees secretary Laura Delaney thanked Ed Buccigross, who has led the  organization for 25 years, for his hard work and dedication: “We wouldn’t have this program without Ed. It wouldn’t be where it is without Ed. If it wasn’t for Ed, we wouldn’t exist, so big shout-out, big love to Ed.”

Delaney also told the scholarship recipients not to forget where they came from: “Someday come back and maybe you can give back like we’ve given back to South Boston.”

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Follow the organization on Facebook: www.facebook.com/southbostonhalloffame

To watch the ceremony, check out www.bit.ly/3lpQFz5