Golf Club Announces 2025 Nantucket Scholars

Biliana Dountcheva and Cecilia Wendelken were named the 2025 Nantucket Scholars Monday evening at the Nantucket Golf Club, a life-changing moment for both as they will each receive a full four-year college scholarship for all tuition and fees to the college of their choice thanks to the generosity of the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation, which just completed the Nantucket Scholar program's 20th year.

In the aftermath of the announcement, both Dountcheva and Wendelken were overcome with emotion.

“This was so unexpected,” Dountcheva said. “I was just in disbelief. I am just really excited. I feel very proud, very grateful for their decision.”

“This is a lot,” Wendelken said. “I am really proud. I have worked really hard, but it is also just the culmination of all of the people around me that have helped me get here.”

Dountcheva will be studying health science at either Brown University or Northeastern University while Wendelken will be studying marine biology and small vessel operations at Maine Maritime Academy.

The two young women were selected from what was once again an incredibly impressive group of Nantucket High School students. The other eight finalists were Adney Brannigan, Andrea Bunlerssak, Viktoria Dimitrova, Elijah Holland, Boyan Kalpazanov, Madeline Lombardi, Nora Sullivan, and Owen Sullivan.

All eight of the other finalists who were not chosen by the committee will receive “a significant partial scholarship” to the school of their choice, according to Nantucket Golf Club Foundation executive director Tom Bresette.

Below is a list of where the eight other finalists will be going to school.

Adney Brannigan is still deciding between Ithaca, University of Vermont, and St. Michael’s College. She will be studying either mental health education or elementary education.

Andrea Bunlerssak will be an economics major at Wesleyan University.

Viktoria Dimitrova will study Finance at Fairfield University.

Elijah Holland will be studying Marine Biology at the College of William and Mary or University of San Diego.

Boyan Kalpazanov will be studying mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech next year.

Maddie Lombardi will be studying sports psychology at Marist University.

Nora Sullivan will study business management at Endicott College.

Owen Sullivan will study Biomedical Engineering at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute).

When asked what it meant to be selected as this year’s scholars amongst an impressive group of finalists, the answers from both Dountcheva and Wendelken spoke volumes about the level of respect they have for their peers.

“That really brought me to tears just seeing how happy all of them were for me,” Dountcheva said.

“I think all of us have accomplished so much,” Wendelken said. “We all did amazing, and I saw them all do their bits and their work in the whole application process.”

Dountcheva said she has so many teachers, family, and friends to thank.

“I am just so shocked,” she said. “I am having trouble explaining it. This is just incredible.”

Wendelken emotionally expressed that her Mom is the one she thanks for helping her get to this point.

“My Mom, she is just my best friend in the whole world,” Wendelken said. “She is my cheerleader. That is what she calls herself.”

The Golf Club Foundation also honored their professional scholarship recipients on Monday. This program was created to provide support to Nantucket High School graduates who enjoyed success in the NHS vocational programs and had plans to further their education in those fields after high school. Below are this year’s recipients, all of which will receive a partial scholarship to the school of their choice.

Conrad Burns will be pursuing a degree in electrical engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Hansen Dalton will be pursuing a degree in construction management at Roger Williams University.

Cecilia Gagnon will be pursuing a degree in special education at Clemson University

Maddeline Muise will be pursuing a degree in elementary education at the University of New Hampshire.

Merlin Orellana Rivas will be pursuing a degree in nursing at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Martina Savova will be pursuing a degree in nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Tinita Sirisophapong will be pursuing a degree in nursing at Simmons University

Curren Wiggin will be pursuing a degree in marine engineering at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Rita Wood will be pursuing a degree in nursing at the College of Charleston.

Samantha Zadroga will be pursuing a degree in nursing at either the University of Rhode Island or Sacred Heart University.

All 20 scholarship recipients received a Nantucket Golf Club swag bag as each of their names were called by former superintendent Michael Cozort, who spoke for a few minutes about each student and their accomplishments.

Bresette said that the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation raised another $6.5 million last year and has now raised $51.5 million since it was founded in 2002. The mission of the NGCF is to promote the positive development and enrichment of Nantucket children, and the money raised helps benefit Nantucket youth. Its charitable initiatives include recurring grant and scholarship programs such as the Scholar program and professional scholarship program, as well as occasional capital contributions to worthy, local causes.

Bresette said the foundation is currently managing 90 scholarships. There were 36 total Nantucket Scholar candidates. That number was trimmed down to the final 10 that were honored on Monday by a committee consisting of Bresette, Michael Cozort (Former Superintendent of Nantucket Public Schools); Alan Cunha (Owner of Le Languedoc Inn and Bistro); Peter Greenhalgh (formerly of the Artists Association); and Jonelle Gurley (Director of Science & Programming at Maria Mitchell Association).

As for the professional scholarship recipients, they also have a process to go through and are vetted by a review committee including Bresette; Cozort; Grace Hull (Director of Member Services at Nantucket Golf Club); Amy Lee (President & CEO at Nantucket Cottage Hospital); and Roberto Santamaria (Executive Director of Fairwinds).