Michelle Higgins Dives into Scholarships

Acton-Boxborough Regional High School 2011 graduate, Michelle Higgins, is off to college in a few weeks with some extra cash in her bank account. On Senior Scholarship night, she recently received a $500 scholarship for her athleticism and leadership from the AB swim team and a $1,000 scholarship from the Middlesex Savings Bank for her overall academic performance.

“I knew I was going to receive one from the swim team but I was completely caught off guard when I received one from the Middlesex Bank,” said Higgins.

For the past six years, Higgins has been diving for the AB swim team and was one of four captains her senior year.

“Being a captain is a lot of work,” said Higgins. “We do organizing for fundraisers, we make sure the freshmen on the team get situated and we make sure the team stays together.”

Higgins was on balance beams way before diving boards, but because of a knee injury (Osgood Schlatters), it forced her to venture into a different sport – diving.

“After I tried it I was hooked,” said Higgins.

Higgins has been diving ever since and her athleticism, academics, leadership undertakings and community service has caught the eyes of major donors.

“Recipients are chosen based on academic merit, community service, financial need, and personal and academic improvement,” according to a statement from the Middlesex Savings Bank.

In a few weeks, Higgins will be a freshman at Williams College in Williamstown, MA, where she will be diving for the swim team.

“One of the major reasons I picked Williams was because their team reminded me of AB," said Higgins. "There seemed to be a lot of team unity and that is encouraging.”