Village Bank awards $68,000 in scholarships to high school grads

The Village Bank awarded nearly $70,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors in Newton and surrounding communities.

Two graduates — Newton North High School’s Aiden Wright and Wayland High School’s Andrew Zhao — each received $10,000 toward higher education. An additional 24 students from across the region received $2,000 scholarships.

“We are proud to continue our tradition of recognizing the achievements of the youth in our community while supporting their educational goals,” said Joseph A. De Vito, president and CEO of the bank.

Scholarship funds come from the Auburndale Community Charitable Foundation, a program organized by The Village Bank since 1998. Since then, the foundation has awarded almost $1 million in scholarships — funded partly by the bank’s annual golf tournament, the bank wrote in a statement.

Applicants are selected based on academic performance, recommendations, and leadership within the local community. The two larger scholarships are reserved for students in Newton and Wayland and focus largely on community and charity work.

Among this year’s winners were nine graduates of Newton North and five graduates of Newton South High School.