Jacobs Scholarships Totaling $175,000 Awarded to Five Local Students

The SouthCoast Community Foundation Fund supports next-generation STEM leaders

NEW BEDFORD, MA — Addylene Darosa Semedo can now realize her dream of going to college and then medical school without worrying about how to afford both. Jocelyn Kingman always wanted to help people. Now she can pursue nursing school. Moriah Merkman will now be the first in her family to go to college and pursue a career as a dermatologist. These high school graduates and graduates Annie Lin and Linh Dan Nguyen are each the 2021 recipients of a $35,000 grant from the Jacobs Family New Bedford High Schools Scholarship, a fund of the SouthCoast Community Foundation.

“Addylene, Annie, Linh, Jocelyn, and Moriah are now joining the other 83 New Bedford students that have been fortunate to receive a scholarship from the Jacobs since its inception twenty years ago,” commented SouthCoast Community President John Vasconcellos. “Irwin and Joan are not only incredibly successful in their careers but are thoughtful, compassionate, generous, and hopeful people. We believe this scholarship will not only provide these five graduates with an education and a career but also a value system and a life that celebrates the legacy of Irwin and Joan Jacobs.”

The Jacobs Scholarship was established in 2000 by New Bedford native Dr. Irwin Jacobs (New Bedford High graduate, Class of 1950) and his wife, Joan, to honor two New Bedford High School educators who made a huge impact on Dr. Jacobs and his future career, Philip Bronspiegel and Melver C. Felton, Jr.

“Joan and I congratulate the winners of the 2021 Jacobs scholarships,” remarked Dr. Irwin Jacobs. “We were very excited to read of their outstanding scholarship, extracurricular activities, and future plans. Although this year we had to meet virtually, we do look forward to meeting next year in person. We would also like to congratulate all of the New Bedford high schools for increasing the percentage of students graduating and continuing to higher education.”

The Fund annually provides five four-year, up to $35,000 scholarships to one New Bedford Global Learning Charter School, three New Bedford High School, and one Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School graduating seniors. Recipients must attend an accredited college or university and major in science.

Superintendent Thomas Anderson stated, “On behalf of the entire New Bedford Public Schools community – our educators, staff, students, and families – our heartfelt thanks go to Joan and Irwin Jacobs for all they have done over the years, and continue to do, to help New Bedford students achieve their full potential. It is a remarkable and truly unique legacy of generosity and caring, one that reflects on New Bedford itself; that this community fostered a young student so many years ago to form a lifelong connection marked by kindness, concern, and action as its hallmarks.”

The Jacobs have been cited by Business Week and the Chronicle of Philanthropy as among the 50 Most-Generous Philanthropists in the United States. In August of 2010, Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs signed the “giving pledge” along with 40 other individuals and families. This effort, spearhead by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, is a commitment from our country’s wealthiest people to donate more than half of their wealth to charity.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation is a nonprofit serving the communities of Southeastern Massachusetts through philanthropy. The Community Foundation mission is to mobilize philanthropy by matching donors and resources with community needs for the benefit of our region. Since 1995, the organization has distributed over $50 million from more than 200 funds to humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations in the region. For more information, visit www.southcoastcf.org.

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Addylene Semedo

Annie Lin

Linh Dan Nguyen

Jocelyn Kingman

Moriah Merkman