Celebrating Our 2025 Scholarship Winners: A Bright Future Ahead

This May, Communities In Schools of Eastern Pennsylvania (CIS of Eastern PA) proudly honored the graduating Class of 2025 during our annual ‘Ready, Set, Graduate!’ celebrations—recognizing the determination, resilience and achievements of more than 75 high school seniors supported by our programs.

Among the many highlights from each event was the presentation of scholarships to five outstanding students whose academic efforts, personal growth and commitment to their futures stood out.

This year, we presented scholarships to five outstanding students:

• Riley H. from Emmaus High School was awarded the Joan Benner Fuller Scholarship

• Nevaeh A. from Lincoln Leadership Academy, Julian M. from Fleetwood Area Senior High School, Danae D. from Freedom High School and Shaylynn B. from Reading Senior High School were awarded the Chandler-Barnes Scholarship.

Each scholarship recipient received $1,500 to assist with tuition and educational expenses as they take the next step in their academic careers.

This year’s scholarship recipients transitioned from middle school to high school during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, adding another level of stress and anxiety to their academic journeys. They credit CIS’s site coordinators with helping them cope and adjust to the new reality.

“Thanks to [my site coordinator], I shifted my focus to school,” said one recipient. “They made me realize that I have more opportunities in life than I thought.”

This year’s celebrations were especially meaningful, as we expanded to two regional events for the first time to reflect our growing presence across the region. From DeSales University in Center Valley to the Neag Planetarium in Reading, we gathered with students, families, educators and supporters from all over the region to mark a milestone moment in the lives of our seniors.

As we continue to expand our reach and deepen our impact, CIS of Eastern PA remains committed to helping every student stay in school and succeed in life. These five students—and the dozens more we celebrated this May—are proof of what’s possible when communities rally around education.