New London graduate receives Comcast scholarship

Francesca Ledoux, a recent graduate of New London High School, is among 18 Connecticut recipients of the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship. Students are selected for their success in academics, leadership and community service to receive a $2,500 scholarship toward their undergraduate careers.

Ledoux, who was featured in The Day’s annual senior profile series, will be attending Eastern Connecticut State University in the fall to study health science.

Preston student honored with annual scholarship

NFA graduate and Preston senior Kali Whitford is the 2020 recipient of the Cynthia A. Carano Memorial Scholarship. Whitford received $1,300 for her essay "How an Educator or Mentor Has Positively Impacted My Life," which she wrote about Linda Farinha, her business explorations teacher. She will be attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the fall.

Since the fund was established in 2009 in memory of Cynthia Carano, a longtime teacher in town, Preston students have received more than $12,000 in scholarships.

Old Lyme student receives CBA scholarship

Ethan Carrion of Old Lyme recently received a scholarship from the Connecticut Broadcasters Association to support his studies at Quinnipiac University. Carrion will be majoring in sports media and was accepted into Quinnipiac's accelerated program, which will allow him to receive both his bachelor's and master's degrees in four years.

The CBA offers scholarships every winter for Connecticut residents pursuing careers in media. For more information, visit ctba.org.

Local P.E.O. chapter grants scholarship

Upon recommendation by Chapter Y in Mystic, P.E.O. has awarded the 2020 Philanthropic Educational Organization STAR Scholarship to Sami Olson of Old Lyme, who will be studying environmental science and Spanish at Northwestern University in the fall.

The STAR Scholarship is one of several awarded by P.E.O to support educational opportunities for women; awards of $2,500 are granted selected graduating high school seniors based on academic, extracurricular and community excellence. For more information, visit peointernational.org.

Friends and Neighbors is a regular feature in the Times. To contribute, email times@theday.com.