Our congratulations go to this year’s seniors for being selected as the 2022 UFCW Local 1459 Scholarship Fund Recipients. They have been awarded a grant from among many students who applied for this scholarship.

Joe is the son of Local 1459 member Tony Bianco, who works at Stop & Shop in Springfield. He graduated from Belchertown High School in 2022 and will be attending Assumption University. Joe will major in Business Administration with a concentration in finance.

Paige is the daughter of Local 1459 member Katrina Hamelin, who works for the Chicopee School Department. She graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 2022 and will be attending the University of Hartford. Paige will major in Secondary Education.

Alyssa is the daughter of Local 1459 members Lisa Ricardo, who works for the City of Chicopee and Pedro Ricardo, who works for Stop & Shop in Springfield. She graduated from Chicopee High School in 2022 and will be attending Mount Holyoke College. Alyssa’s goal is to do freelance or contracted animated work and graphic design. She’d like to own her own animation firm in the future.

Garret is the son of Local 1459 member Michele Theberge, who works for Chicopee Public Schools. He graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 2021 and currently attends Springfield College. After college he plans on joining the Air Force to serve active duty as a physical therapist. Garret then plans on transferring to the reserves and finding work in the private sector to work with athletes.
Everyone should be very proud to have won this most prestigious Union honor, since recipients of this scholarship must exemplify academic excellence, scholastic achievement and pride in UFCW Local 1459.
Certainly, we at UFCW Local 1459 are proud to be part of ensuring that talent, motivation, intellectual excellence and union pride are duly rewarded. We know that no matter which institution of higher learning that these recipients graduate from, they will always remember that a Union helped them achieve their academic goals. Thus, we wish them the very best of fortune in their future endeavors and once again, we congratulate them on being exemplary scholars!