BucksMont Chamber of Commerce Awards Scholarships to Three Local Teens

Three local resident high school students were awarded a $1,000 scholarship Thursday afternoon, from the Greater BucksMont Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon in Warminster.

The luncheon was held in the banquet hall of located on York Road and took place from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The winners of the scholarship were Kaitlyn Rafferty, 18, of Warminster, Kevin Anderson Jr., 18, of Hatboro, and Fernanda Robles, 18, of Warminster. Each winner received a certificate and a check for $1,000.

Rafferty, was joined by her mother as well as her teachers from the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology where Rafferty is studying culinary arts.

“I didn’t think I was going to get [the scholarship],” Rafferty said. “I know that there’s a lot of great kids and a lot of competition.”

Rafferty will be attending The Culinary Institute of America in New York to study bakery and pastry arts. She hopes to one day open her own bakery and confessed that she loves the television shows Cupcake Wars and Cake Boss.

Anderson, is a senior at . Anderson said that he will be studying secondary education and mathematics at Millersville University. Anderson, who is also a musician, hopes to infuse music with his educational endeavors. 

Robles, a senior at , was overjoyed to have been selected by the chamber of commerce for the scholarship.

“I’m so grateful that [the committee] picked me” Robles said, “Honestly, [the scholarship] will be a big help.”

Robles will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia this fall. She plans to study medicine and major in biological chemistry at the Ivy League school.

Tina Chappelle, who serves as the vice president of membership for the chamber, emceed the event and congratulated the three scholarship recipients.

“The average student doesn’t have those funds [to go to college]” Chappelle said, “It’s so gratifying for me to see somebody who works so hard at their studies.”

Money for the scholarship is raised by an annual scholarship golf outing that is set up by the chamber of commerce. All proceeds made from the golfing event are used to fund the scholarships.

Rafferty, Anderson, and Rodles were required to submit an application to the scholarship committee along with an essay describing why they should be selected. Then, a number of applicants were chosen for face to face interviews with the committee and were asked about their goals and life in and after college.

During the interview, applicants were asked a series of questions, including the open-ended question “What quote most inspires you?” Anderson said that his answer was “If you reach for the moon, you’ll land above the stars.”