Brandeis welcomes Class of 2023 Stroum Family Waltham Scholars to campus

2019 Stroum Family Waltham Scholars with Ron and Jessica LiebowitzPhoto/Mike Lovett

Left to right: Chloe Morales, Jessica Liebowitz, Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz, Anne Yu, and Sonya Alam

Brandeis University and the City of Waltham honored the newest class of Stroum Family Waltham Scholarship recipients at a ceremony and breakfast on May 1.

The scholarship – which provides free tuition to Brandeis for four years – is awarded annually to a small number of outstanding Waltham High School seniors. This year’s recipients are Anne Yu, Sonya Alam and Chloe Morales.

Yu, Alam and Morales all attended the event with their families along with city leaders, Brandeis administrators and former Stroum Scholars.

President Ron Liebowitz formally welcomed the new Stroum Scholars and praised the university’s close ties to Waltham which, he also noted, have been strong since Brandeis’ founding in 1948.

“This event is a special one for both the university and the city of Waltham,” Liebowitz said. “We are very proud of our Waltham roots. All of our Waltham scholars have demonstrated the academic achievement and drive necessary to succeed at Brandeis.”

“Of equal importance,” Liebowitz added,” are the strides these young students are making as community leaders, musicians and athletes. Sonya, Chloe, and Anne: your many impressive achievements demonstrate how much we believe you will add to our campus. We are delighted you have chosen Brandeis as your home for the next four years.”

Current Stroum Scholar Alyssa Beaton ’19 also wished the new cohort of scholars well and provided a glimpse into life as a Brandeis student. Beaton, a business major and legal studies minor, serves as president of the Brandeis real estate club, is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and is on track to graduate summa cum laude.

Beaton will also return to the Brandeis International Business School next year to complete her master’s in international economics and finance as part of the BA/MA business program.

“All these accomplishments can be attributed to this day, four years ago, when I sat listening as a new Stroum Scholar and made the decision to attend Brandeis,” Beaton said. “The professors at Brandeis truly care about your personal and professional growth and give you unparalleled opportunities to challenge yourself and succeed."

“The Stroum Family Waltham Scholarship reaches far beyond its book value,” she continued. “At Brandeis, you will become part of a vibrant community of leaders and innovators who want to make the world a better place.”

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

Stroum said the scholarship was his way of giving back to the community that raised him. Since 1996, more than 100 students have been awarded Stroum Scholarships.

“I feel really welcome and included,” said Morales, who is interested in the biology and health: science, society, and policy (HSSP) majors. “Being a Stroum Scholar means a lot to my family and me, and I am very proud of it.”

“I’m very happy to be here and to hear from others who have succeeded as Stroum Scholars,” said Yu, who is eyeing the pre-dental track. “Getting this scholarship feels like all my hard work has paid off.”

“I’m very excited to be here. It’s an honor to be a Stroum Scholar,” said Alam, who intends to follow the premed track and double major in psychology and biology. “I’m very proud to be part of the Waltham community and I’m also really excited to see other Stroum Scholars hear about how they’ve accomplished so much.”

Categories: Alumni, General, Student Life

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