Waltham students awarded Stroum Family Waltham Endowed Scholarship

Four exceptional Waltham High School students have been named recipients of Stroum Family Waltham Endowed Scholarships

The 2017 Stroum Waltham Scholars with Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz and his wife Jessica LiebowitzPhoto/Heratch Ekmekjian

From left to right: Melissa Nicolas, Incoming Stroum Scholar; Janet Orozco, Incoming Stroum Scholar; Jessica Liebowitz; Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz; Jeannette McCarthy, Mayor of Waltham; Maria Mendiola-Tovar, Incoming Stroum Scholar; Nico Leger, Incoming Stroum Scholar

Four exceptional Waltham High School students have been named recipients of Stroum Family Waltham Endowed Scholarships to attend Brandeis University starting in the fall of 2017. The scholarships provide full tuition for four years.

The newly-named Stroum Waltham Scholars were recognized in a ceremony April 27 at Brandeis, attended by Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, Waltham Police Chief Keith MacPherson, Waltham High School Principal Greg DeMeo, members of the Waltham city council and school committee, and the families of the Stroum Waltham Scholars.

Samuel N. Stroum, a Waltham High School graduate and Seattle businessman and philanthropist, and his wife, Althea, created scholarship in 1996 to provide tuition for the top Waltham High School seniors who are accepted to Brandeis.

Although Stroum moved away from Waltham before Brandeis was established in 1948, he felt his scholarship gifts were a way of giving back to the community in which he was raised.

“Our Stroum Waltham Scholarship breakfast is one of the most inspiring events of the year,” said Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz. “Supporting these outstanding students is fulfilling our most fundamental mission, and underscores the importance we place on the relationship between the university and city of Waltham. I am so grateful for the generosity of the Stroum family, and I am delighted that Waltham Mayor McCarthy and other Waltham officials could be with us to share such an uplifting moment with four gifted students and their families.

“I can’t wait to see the impact these four scholars will have on Brandeis, and on the world,” Liebowitz said.

The following four Waltham students are this year’s Stroum Waltham Scholars:

Melissa Nicolas
Nicolas is captain of the Waltham High School track team, a peer leader and founder of an equality council at WHS. She also helped Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and her team plan the Mayoral Youth Summit.

Nico Leger
Leger comes to Brandeis having already participated in the App Design Boot Camp Precollege Program in the summer. He is a top academic student, and is involved with a variety of extracurricular activities.

Maria Mendiola-Tovar
A first generation American, Mendiola-Tovar has a passion to change the world around her. She was a leader in the first Waltham Mayoral Youth Summit and is a mentor at school. She plans to become an English teacher.

Janet Orozco
Orozco has an exceptionally strong extra-curricular resume and a passion for social justice. She is also captain of the Waltham High School soccer team and a mentor advisor.

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