Full Ride: Hanlon & Vasquez-Cruz Named 2022 Nantucket Scholars

Two Nantucket High School seniors won full four-year college scholarships Wednesday night when the Nantucket Golf Club selected them as the 2022 Nantucket Scholars.

Sarah Hanlon and Maryann Vasquez-Cruz were chosen among 11 finalists for the scholarships that cover four years of tuition and fees at the college or university of their choice.

Hanlon is choosing beteeen the University of Vermont, Providence College and Bates College. Vasquez-Cruz is deciding between Duke University and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

"This is the moment I’ve always dreamed about," said Vasquez-Cruz, whose family came to the United States from the Dominican Republic. "I remember when they first asked my why I wanted to be a scholar, I said I wanted to be an Hispanic representative for my community, and to show to the Hispanic community and to anybody who’s like me and who’s gone through what I’ve been through that it is possible to be a scholar, it is possible to do great things and you will be recognized for those things."

The 11 finalists participated in a rigorous evaluation system for the scholarships, including interviews, activities, forums, and presentations.

"I’m so, so grateful," Hanlon said. "We have such a special community. Making the top 10 was already an achievement, so I felt like a winner then. I was not expecting this. Just knowing that my community is there for me in years to come, and the connections that our community has, I know people are looking out for me and that people will always be there for me, it’s just a really nice thing to know. It's almost sad that it’s over, but I could not be more grateful."

The Nantucket Golf Club launched the Nantucket Scholar program in 2006, and has since funded four-year scholarships for 34 island students. The scholarships are awarded annually in April to “a student who has established a pattern of academic and personal success at Nantucket High School” and have demonstrated “honesty, integrity, morality and responsibility.”

Nantucket Golf Club Foundation executive director Tom Bresette made the announcement just before 7 p.m. Wednesday night.

“Every year I’m more impressed with the achievements of these students,” Bresette said. “Every one of these finalists should be very proud of their accomplishments.”

The other finalists were NHS seniors Melanie Bamber; Max Beebe; Hannah Dalton; Sonia Dhar; Evelyn Fey; Kevin Johnson; Kathryn Kyomitmaitee; Angelica Oviedo-Fermin; and Maclaine Willett.