P.E.O. Larchmont Awards $2500 Scholarships to 2 High School Srs

P.E.O. (Philanthropic Education Organization) local chapter AJ Larchmont is pleased to announce that it recently awarded a $2500 scholarship to each of two local high school seniors.

The annual Jean Bruce Scholarship was presented to Anna Murphy, senior at Rye Neck High School. And the Jean Bruce Scholarship in memory of Esther Steinmetz was awarded to Kristin Coleman, a senior at Mamaroneck High School (MHS).

Murphy is committed to UNC-Chapel Hill, with an interest in pursuing STEM, hoping to double major in biology and Spanish. Coleman has committed to Fairfield University, where she expects to major in mathematics and economics, but hopes to pursue her passion for art through college electives.

Jean Bruce Scholarships are awarded based on excellence in academics, leadership, extracurricular activities, community service, and potential for future success. Both these women impressed the screening committee with their accomplishments and goals.

Anna Murphy has excelled as a student at Rye Neck. She earned the AP Scholar with Distinction award after her junior year, then took five more AP courses during her senior year. At the same time, she recognized the difficulties of younger students during the COVID pandemic, so established a tutoring system for middle school students. And she served as vice president of the senior class, captain of the Rye Neck soccer team, and won records in field and track. Another passion is dance, which she used to provide workshops in area hospitals and pediatric special needs centers. As a native Spanish speaker, she has also earned a diploma (after a six-year program) from the Spanish Ministry of Education.

Kristen Coleman has been an excellent student at MHS, inducted as a member of the National Honor Society. She played soccer for MHS all four years, and also for a top club team where she served as captain for three years. She worked with the Reading Buddies program through the MHS Multicultural Club, reading inspirational books about different cultures to elementary students. She has also been active at Larchmont-Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force food pantry, and served as a tutor for elementary students at Washingtonville Housing Alliance. At the same time, Kristen worked to earn spending money and contribute to her family expenses. Kristen will be the first in her family to earn a college degree.

Jean Bruce, a former member of Chapter AJ, firmly believed in women’s education and provided funds in her will for this scholarship. Each year since 2013, Chapter AJ has been able to award one in her name. And this past year, the estate of Esther Steinmetz, another long-time member, made a donation to the fund after Ms. Steinmetz’s death in 2020, allowing a second scholarship.

P.E.O. is a women’s organization that seeks to celebrate the advancement of women, to educate women through scholarships, grants, loans and stewardship of Cottey College, and to motivate women to achieve their highest aspirations.

For more information about P.E.O., go to https://www.peointernational.org/.
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Attached are photos of Anna Murphy and Kristen Coleman

Editors: for more information about this article, contact Louise Moore Williams, 914-565-9457, or email moorwill@aol.com