The Blackstone/Franklin Squares Neighborhood Association (B/FSNA) scholarship program celebrated its 2015 scholarship recipients at a reception on Tuesday, June 16 at the Gallery at Art Block, 725 Harrison Avenue. The scholarship program, which began in 2006, awarded 11 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 to 11 South End residents who are beginning or continuing their college studies. Eight of the students attended the reception, which also included neighbors and two guidance counselors from the Josiah Quincy Upper School (JQUS) who accompanied the four JQUS students being honored.

The winners of the two top prizes, the $2,500 Andrew Parthum scholarships, are Halimo Mohamed, a 2015 graduate of JQUS with a 3.9 GPA who is the first in her family to graduate high school and F. Michael Cordero, who recently graduated from Boston Arts Academy and will attend Boston Conservatory in the fall. Cordero has lobbied for jobs for teens and led community organizing meetings with the St. Stephen's Episcopal church youth program, and he hopes to create arts programs for South End Youth in the future.

The number of scholarships given and the total award money reflect substantial growth in the years that this writer has been covering the B/FSNA scholarship program, which is financed through fundraisers. For the first time this year, the scholarship committee was able to recognize promising candidates from a previous year who are now succeeding in college. Allen Tan, Franklin Ortiz, Henry Kwan and Amber Garcia applied for the programs as rising college freshmen in 2013 and are now rising juniors at their respective schools. Each received a $1,000 for their academic pursuits.

This year's winners reflect a diversity of interests and goals. Boston Latin School graduate Jih-Chien Yun worked on her school's yearbook and literary arts magazine as well as working with Habitat for Humanity, and she will enroll in Boston University in the fall. Kailey Tse-Harlow received an International Baccalaureate at JQUS plans to attend Brandeis University in the fall. Harlow took summer courses including scriptwriting at Emerson College during her high school years and hopes to work in television reporting on fashion and culture. Tan, a computer science major at U.Mass. Amherst, works on smartphone apps and will be involved in building a "smart" wheelchair in a summer program at MIT. Garcia, a student at Denison University, has taught English in Morocco and plans to study abroad in France. Locally, Garcia volunteers at a shelter for battered women.